Optimal flights to near-Earth asteroid

The spacecraft flights to the Near-Earth asteroid in order to give an impact influence on the asteroid, correct its orbit and prevent the asteroid’s collision with the Earth are analyzed.In the first part, the impulse flights are analyzed in the Lambert approach. There are determined the optimal trajectories maximizing the asteroid deviation from the Earth.In the second part, the flights with the chemical and electric-jet engines are analyzed. The high thrust is used to launch the spacecraft from the geocentric orbit, and the low thrust is applied for the heliocentric motion. On the base of optimal impulse transfer, the optimal low thrust trajectories are determined using Pontryagin maximum principle.The numerical results are given for the flight to the asteroid Toutatis. Parameters of the spacecraft impact on the asteroid are determined. The asteroid deviation from the Earth caused by the spacecraft influence is presented.     

One optimization problem for trajectories of spacecraft rendezvous mission to a group of asteroids

The optimization problem is considered for the trajectory of a spacecraft mission to a group of asteroids. The ratio of the final spacecraft mass to the flight time is maximized. The spacecraft is controlled by changing the value and direction of the jet engine thrust (small thrust). The motion of the Earth, asteroids, and the spacecraft proceeds in the central Newtonian gravitational field of the Sun. The Earth and asteroids are considered as point objects moving in preset elliptical orbits. The spacecraft departure from the Earth is considered in the context of the method of a point-like sphere of action, and the excess of hyperbolic velocity is limited. It is required sequentially to have a rendezvous with asteroids from four various groups, one from each group; it is necessary to be on the first three asteroids for no less than 90 days. The trajectory is finished by arrival at the last asteroid. Constraints on the time of departure from the Earth, flight duration, and final mass are taken into account in this problem.     

On solving the problems of optimization of trajectories of many-revolution orbit transfers of spacecraft

The problem of optimal control over many-revolution spacecraft orbit transfers between circular coplanar orbits of satellites is considered. The spacecraft flight is controlled by a thrust vector of a jet engine with restricted thrust (JERT). The mass expenditure is minimized at a limited time of flight. The optimal control problem is solved based on the maximum principle. The boundary value problem of the maximum principle is solved numerically using the shooting method. A modified computation scheme of the shooting method is suggested (multi-point shooting), as well as a method (correlated with the scheme) of choosing the initial approximation with the use of a solution to the optimization problem in the impulse formulation. The scheme and method allow one to construct many-revolution spacecraft orbit transfers.     

About one problem of trajectory optimization

The optimization problem for trajectories of spacecraft flight from the Earth to an asteroid is considered in this paper. The flight is realized in the central Newtonian gravitational field of the Sun with a possibility of gravitational maneuvers near planets. Perturbation maneuvers are taken into account using the method of point area of action with a limitation on the flyby altitude. The spacecraft is controlled by changing the value and direction of the engine thrust. The problem is solved taking into account constraints on the launch time, flight duration, and minimum distance to the Sun.     

小推力轨道保持方法

对小推力轨道保持方法进行了研究。用快、慢变量控制器分别控制轨道要素的快慢变量,基于推导的经典轨道要素与2个推力方向角和最佳变轨位置的关系,给出了最优推力方向角的解析表达式。用Lyapunov反馈控制实现卫星轨道机动的轨道转移,并引入相位调整,实现了卫星的站位保持。仿真结果表明:基于Lyapunov的反馈控制可实现小推力轨道的转移和保持。     

The use of three-impulse transfer to insert the spacecraft into the high Moon Artificial Satellite orbits

The problem of the optimal spacecraft’s insertion from the Earth into the high circular polar Moon Artificial Satellite’s orbit (MAS) with a radius of 4000–8000 km has been investigated. A comparison of single- and three-impulse insertion schemes has been performed. The analysis was made taking into account the disturbances from the lunar gravity field harmonics and the gravity fields of the Earth and the Sun, as well as the engine’s limited thrust. It has been shown that the three-impulse transfer from the initial selenocentric hyperbola of the approach into the considered final high MAS orbit is noticeably better with respect to the final mass than the ordinary single-impulse deceleration. The control parameters that implement this maneuver and provide nearly the same energy expenses as in the Keplerian case have been presented. It was found that, in contrast to the Keplerian case, in the considered case of the real gravity field, there is the optimal maximum distance of the maneuver. Recently, the Moon exploration problem became actual again.     

月球探测器直接软着陆最优轨道设计

研究月球探测器直接软着陆最优轨道的设计问题。首先根据探测器直接软着陆的特点，提出了有限推力最省燃料的最优轨道设计问题；然后利用有限推力月面软着陆的最优推力控制方向的计算公式，研究了边值条件和计算方法；最后通过直接软着陆最优轨道的算例及结果分析，发现开始制动高度越低越省能量；推力方向可变时比不可变时节省能量；推力大小可变相当于采用了多级制动，对安全定点着陆非常有利。     

航天器多脉冲悬停控制的非线性方法

为解决连续推力空间悬停控制技术对航天器控制推进系统要求较高、工程上难于实现的问题,提出基于Clohessy-Wiltshire方程的多脉冲悬停控制方法。以轨道要素外推的飞行状态非线性预测方法和脉冲悬停控制量优化算法,对悬停脉冲进行了优化,可以实现主动航天器在目标航天器附近任意点的近似稳定悬停。给出的多脉冲悬停控制方法及控制量非线性优化算法考虑了地球非球形引力摄动J2项影响,补偿了Clohessy-Wiltshire方程的线性化误差,能有效提高悬停精度。仿真结果表明,多脉冲悬停控制方法的燃料消耗与连续推力悬停方法相比没有明显增加,不会对主动航天器带来过大的燃料消耗压力。     

Optimal thrust program for deviating an Earth-pointing asteroid

The purpose of this study is to investigate the optimal thrust program for deviating an asteroid when it is flying directly toward or crossing the Earth. Under some assumptions, the problem can be considered as a two-body problem of Earth-asteroid system. The initial relative speed and distance are specified to be 10 km/s and 150 times of Earth's radius, respectively. We have about 1 day (or, 93681 seconds exactly) to take action. If a single impulse is applied to the asteroid at the specified initial point, the required impulse to obtain a miss distance of 2 times of Earth's radius is 169.5 m/s per kg mass. For an asteroid of 10 m in diameter, the total impulse required is 3.02 × 10⁸ m/s. It needs a typical large launching rocket to provide the total impulse. When the asteroid is larger or the initial distance is shorter, the number of launching rockets required increases rapidly. For further analysis with physical and engineering constraints imposed, we shall have to use the variational formulation method.     

The use of solutions to problems of spacecraft trajectory optimization in impulse formulation when solving the problems of optimal control of trajectories of a spacecraft with limited thrust engine: I

In this first part of our paper, it is suggested to use solutions to boundary value problems in the optimization problems (in impulse formulation) for spacecraft trajectories in order to obtain the initial approximation, when boundary value problems of the maximum principle are solved numerically by the shooting method. The technique suggested is applied to the problems of optimal control over motion of the center of mass of a spacecraft controlled by the thrust vector of jet engine with limited thrust in an arbitrary gravitational field in a vacuum. The method is based on a modified (in comparison to the classic scheme) shooting method computation together with the method of continuation along a parameter (maximum reactive acceleration, initial thrust-to-weight ratio, or any other parameter equivalent to them). This technique allows one to obtain the initial approximation with a high precision, and it is applicable to a wide range of optimal control problems solved using the maximum principle, if the impulse formulation makes sense for these problems.     

Analysis of the orbital motion of the asteroid Apophis’ satellite

We have analyzed the orbital disturbed spacecraft motion near an asteroid. The equations of the asteroidocentric spacecraft motion have been used with regard to three perturbations from celestial bodies, the asteroid’s nonsphericity, and solar radiation pressure. It has been shown that the orbital parameters of the main spacecraft and a small satellite with a radio beacon can be selected such that the orbits are rather stable for a fairly long period of time, i.e., a few weeks for the main spacecraft with an orbit initial radius of ~0.5 km and a few years before approaching Apophis with the Earth in 2029, for a small satellite at an orbit initial radius of ~1.5 km. The initial orientation of the spacecraft orbital plane perpendicular to the sunward direction is optimal from the point of view of the stability of the spacecraft flight near an asteroid.     

High order optimal feedback control of space trajectories with bounded control

Optimal feedback control is classically based on linear approximations, whose accuracy drops off rapidly in highly nonlinear dynamics. Several nonlinear optimal feedback control strategies have appeared in recent years. Among them, differential algebraic techniques have been used to tackle nonlinearities by expanding the solution of the optimal control problem about a reference trajectory and reducing the computation of optimal feedback control laws to the evaluation of high order polynomials. However, the resulting high order method could not handle control saturation constraints, which remain a critical facet of nonlinear optimal feedback control. This work introduces the management of saturating actuators in the differential algebraic method. More specifically, the constraints are included in the optimal control problem formulation and differential algebra is used to expand the associated optimal bang–bang solution with respect to the initial and terminal conditions. Optimal feedback control laws for thrust direction and switching times are again computed by evaluating the resulting polynomials. Illustrative applications are presented in the frame of the optimal low-thrust transfer to asteroid 1996 FG₃.     

Optimization of transfers under constraints on the thrust direction: I

Transfers with a low thrust are considered under constraints imposed on the thrust vector direction. These constraints can be caused by peculiarities of the attitude control system and the mode of stabilization of a spacecraft, and, in the general case, they are functions of the time and state vector. The constraints specified by equalities and inequalities are investigated. It is shown that the optimal thrust is directed along the projection of the Lawden’s primer vector onto the restricting set.     

全太阳系深空探测轨迹全局优化(英文)

针对太阳系中全部的248997颗行星的探测问题,给出了一种关于探测飞行器的深空探测全局四维轨迹(t,x,y,z)优化方案,即飞行器从地球发射进入太阳系并采用小推力控制,优化方案的性能指标为飞行器与太阳系中全部行星中相遇和交会的星的数量最多并且燃料消耗最少。本方案给出了四维飞行轨迹进行全局优化的一套算法,该算法由搜索算法和四维轨迹优化算法组成。此搜索算法从太阳系的248997颗行星中寻找获得尽可能多的经过近地球3维走廊内的行星;而四维轨迹优化算法由改进的动态规划算法、基于最优控制理论的共轭梯度算法和静态参数优化算法组成,其中静态参数优化算法用于搜索最优发射时间窗口。基于该组合算法,通过长时间的大规模的飞行数字仿真,最终计算出探测器的四维最优飞行轨迹,在一年内路过了太阳系中全部行星中的12颗行星。     

基于双蚁群优化的快速轨道转移

研究了Lambert转移的优化问题,并用于航天器的快速轨道机动。以二体模型为基础,在给定的转移时间范围内以燃料最省为目标函数,用蚁群算法(ACA)对Lambert机动问题进行寻优;将第一次寻优用于完成轨道机动所需的速度增量转换成航天器发动机有限推力下的时间序列;考虑地球主要摄动影响,再次用ACA对有限推力工作时段进行边值修正,保证航天器能转移至目标位置范围。仿真结果表明:双蚁群优化方法可有效修正由二体假设导致的Lambert转移的误差,同时由蚁群算法的较强寻优性能保证了Lambert机动过程的燃料最省。     

采用Gauss伪谱法的小推力日-火Halo轨道转移优化设计

针对日-地Halo轨道到日-火Halo轨道的小推力轨道转移问题,给出一种基于不变流形理论和Gauss伪谱法的优化设计方法。首先,在日心惯性坐标系中建立小推力轨道优化模型,并基于不变流形理论给出轨道转移中流形出口和入口的选择原则,应用该原则在日-地系统中选择流形出口,在日-火系统中选择流形入口,并将其作为轨道转移的初末状态;然后基于Gauss伪谱法将最优控制问题离散化为非线性规划(NLP)问题,并采用基于逆多项式的形状算法给出了NLP初值的计算方法;最后对该轨道转移问题进行了数学仿真。仿真结果表明：Gauss伪谱法可有效用于小推力日-火Halo轨道转移的优化,且采用逆多项式形状算法得到的初值具有初始误差小,使得NLP收敛速度快的特点。     

Equilibrium attitude and stability of a spacecraft on a stationary orbit around an asteroid

The stationary orbits around an asteroid, if exist, can be used for communication and navigation purposes just as around the Earth. The equilibrium attitude and stability of a rigid spacecraft on a stationary orbit around a uniformly-rotating asteroid are studied. The linearized equations of attitude motion are obtained under the small motion assumption. Then, the equilibrium attitude is determined in both cases of a general and a symmetrical spacecraft. Due to the higher-order inertia integrals of the spacecraft, the equilibrium attitude is slightly away from zero Euler angles. Then necessary conditions of stability of this conservative system are analyzed based on the linearized equations of motion. The effects of different parameters, including the harmonic coefficients C₂₀ and C₂₂ of the asteroid and higher-order inertia integrals of the spacecraft, on the stability are assessed and compared. Due to the significantly non-spherical shape and rapid rotation of the asteroid, the effects of the harmonic coefficients C₂₀ and C₂₂ are very significant, while effects of the third- and fourth-order inertia integrals of the spacecraft can be neglected. Considering a spacecraft on a stationary orbit around an example asteroid, we show that the classical stability domain predicted by the Beletskii–DeBra–Delp method on a circular orbit in a central gravity field is modified due to the non-spherical mass distribution of the asteroid. Our results are confirmed by a numerical simulation.     

从地球到日-火系平动点轨道的转移

平动点轨道特殊的空间位置及动力学特征,使其在深空探测中具有重要的应用。以日-火系平动点轨道(Lissajous与Halo轨道)任务为目标,结合平动点轨道的不变流形理论,研究了小推力转移问题。首先给出了圆型限制性三体动力学模型下平动点附近不变流形(稳定和不稳定流形)高阶分析解以及相应的计算实例。接着以流形分析解为基础,建立了初始小推力轨道优化模型,并利用改进的协作进化算法求解初始小推力轨道。最后将初始轨道离散,采用多点打靶法将最优控制问题转化为参数优化问题,并用序列二次规划方法(SQP)求解。仿真结果证明轨道设计方法的有效性。     

面向任务的电推进航天器性能优化与控制

针对电推进(EP)系统的性能与任务耦合优化及控制问题,提出一种基于电推进特征参数模型的耦合优化方法。以入轨有效载荷质量转移率最优为目标,推导出化学-电推进组合任务与多模态全电推进任务的完备形式的拓展火箭方程与最优比冲(Isp)表达式,得到多模态连续电推进最优比冲的计算方法,并得到相关参数对最优比冲的影响规律。结果表明,提出的耦合优化方法与最优比冲公式对求解多模态电推进任务的最优比冲和研究电推进航天器耦合优化控制问题具有指导意义和通用性。     

面向木星卫星交会任务的探测器飞行路径规划

针对探测器在木星系统内多次借力的飞行路径和轨道优化设计问题,提出了一种基于三层优化思想的飞行路径规划方法,该方法可根据给定的任务约束和交会目标,自动搜索探测器在木星系统内的借力飞行序列,同时完成标称飞行轨道的优化设计。首先,文章在给定轨道动力学模型和木卫借力模型基础上,建立了面向木卫交会任务的两次借力飞行轨道优化设计模型和求解方法;然后,采用结合遗传算法、全局遍历和贪婪算法的三层优化设计思路,给出了一种环木飞行路径规划方法;最后,以木星四颗卫星的交会任务为例进行了仿真分析。仿真结果表明：针对木卫的交会任务,探测器速度增量需求随木卫借力次数的增多,呈现先显著减小后逐渐增大的现象;探测器采用多次木卫借力的策略,可显著降低探测器的速度增量需求;探测器速度增量达到最优之后,借力目标收敛于交会目标,且速度增量随借力次数的进一步增多而逐渐增大。