Design of transfer trajectories between resonant orbits in the Earth–Moon restricted problem

The application of dynamical systems techniques to mission design has demonstrated that employing invariant manifolds and resonant flybys enables previously unknown trajectory options and potentially reduces the ΔV$\mathrm{\Delta }V$ requirements. In this investigation, planar and three-dimensional resonant orbits are analyzed and cataloged in the Earth–Moon system and the associated invariant manifold structures are computed and visualized with the aid of higher-dimensional Poincaré maps. The relationship between the manifold trajectories associated with multiple resonant orbits is explored through the maps with the objective of constructing resonant transfer arcs. As a result, planar and three-dimensional homoclinic- and heteroclinic-type trajectories between unstable periodic resonant orbits are identified in the Earth–Moon system. To further illustrate the applicability of 2D and 3D resonant orbits in preliminary trajectory design, planar transfers to the vicinity of L₅ and an out-of-plane transfer to a 3D periodic orbit, one that tours the entire Earth–Moon system, are constructed. The design process exploits the invariant manifolds associated with orbits in resonance with the Moon as transfer mechanisms.     

Manifold dynamics in the Earth–Moon system via isomorphic mapping with application to spacecraft end-of-life strategies

Recently, manifold dynamics has assumed an increasing relevance for analysis and design of low-energy missions, both in the Earth–Moon system and in alternative multibody environments. With regard to lunar missions, exterior and interior transfers, based on the transit through the regions where the collinear libration points L₁ and L₂ are located, have been studied for a long time and some space missions have already taken advantage of the results of these studies. This paper is focused on the definition and use of a special isomorphic mapping for low-energy mission analysis. A convenient set of cylindrical coordinates is employed to describe the spacecraft dynamics (i.e. position and velocity), in the context of the circular restricted three-body problem, used to model the spacecraft motion in the Earth–Moon system. This isomorphic mapping of trajectories allows the identification and intuitive representation of periodic orbits and of the related invariant manifolds, which correspond to tubes that emanate from the curve associated with the periodic orbit. Heteroclinic connections, i.e. the trajectories that belong to both the stable and the unstable manifolds of two distinct periodic orbits, can be easily detected by means of this representation. This paper illustrates the use of isomorphic mapping for finding (a) periodic orbits, (b) heteroclinic connections between trajectories emanating from two Lyapunov orbits, the first at L₁, and the second at L₂, and (c) heteroclinic connections between trajectories emanating from the Lyapunov orbit at L₁ and from a particular unstable lunar orbit. Heteroclinic trajectories are asymptotic trajectories that travels at zero-propellant cost. In practical situations, a modest delta-v budget is required to perform transfers along the manifolds. This circumstance implies the possibility of performing complex missions, by combining different types of trajectory arcs belonging to the manifolds. This work studies also the possible application of manifold dynamics to defining suitable, convenient end-of-life strategies for spacecraft orbiting the Earth. Seven distinct options are identified, and lead to placing the spacecraft into the final disposal orbit, which is either (a) a lunar capture orbit, (b) a lunar impact trajectory, (c) a stable lunar periodic orbit, or (d) an outer orbit, never approaching the Earth or the Moon. Two remarkable properties that relate the velocity variations with the spacecraft energy are employed for the purpose of identifying the optimal locations, magnitudes, and directions of the velocity impulses needed to perform the seven transfer trajectories. The overall performance of each end-of-life strategy is evaluated in terms of time of flight and propellant budget.     

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。     

Horseshoe orbits in the Earth–Moon system

Horseshoe orbits in the restricted three-body problem have been mostly considered in the Sun–Jupiter system and, in recent years, in the Sun–Earth system. Here, these orbits have been used to find asteroids that have orbits of this kind. We have built a planar family of horseshoe orbits in the Earth–Moon system and determined the points of planar and 1/1 vertical resonances on this family. We have presented examples of orbits generated by these spatial families.     

A low-thrust transfer between the Earth–Moon and Sun–Earth systems based on invariant manifolds

A low-energy, low-thrust transfer between two halo orbits associated with two coupled three-body systems is studied in this paper. The transfer is composed of a ballistic departure, a ballistic insertion and a powered phase using low-thrust propulsion to connect these two trajectories. The ballistic departure and insertion are computed by constructing the unstable and stable invariant manifolds of the corresponding halo orbits, and a complete low-energy transfer based on the patched invariant manifolds is optimized using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm on the criterion of smallest velocity discontinuity and limited position discontinuity (less than 1 km). Then, the result is expropriated as the boundary conditions for the subsequent low-thrust trajectory design. The fuel-optimal problem is formulated using the calculus of variations and Pontryagin's Maximum Principle in a complete four-body dynamical environment. Then, a typical bang–bang control is derived and solved using the indirect method combined with a homotopic technique. The contributions of the present work mainly consist of two points. Firstly, the global search method proposed in this paper is simply handled using the PSO algorithm, a number of feasible solutions in a fairly wide range can be delivered without a priori or perfect knowledge of the transfers. Secondly, the indirect optimization method is used in the low-thrust trajectory design and the derivations of the first-order necessary conditions are simplified with a modified controlled, restricted four-body model.     

Low-energy Earth–Moon transfers involving manifolds through isomorphic mapping

Analysis and design of low-energy transfers to the Moon has been a subject of great interest for decades. Exterior and interior transfers, based on the transit through the regions where the collinear libration points are located, have been studied for a long time and some space missions have already taken advantage of the results of these studies. This paper is concerned with a geometrical approach for low-energy Earth-to-Moon mission analysis, based on isomorphic mapping. The isomorphic mapping of trajectories allows a visual, intuitive representation of periodic orbits and of the related invariant manifolds, which correspond to tubes that emanate from the curve associated with the periodic orbit. Two types of Earth-to-Moon missions are considered. The first mission is composed of the following arcs: (i) transfer trajectory from a circular low Earth orbit to the stable invariant manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁ (corresponding to a specified energy level) and (ii) transfer trajectory along the unstable manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁, with final injection in a periodic orbit around the Moon. The second mission is composed of the following arcs: (i) transfer trajectory from a circular low Earth orbit to the stable invariant manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁ (corresponding to a specified energy level) and (ii) transfer trajectory along the unstable manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁, with final injection in a capture (non-periodic) orbit around the Moon. In both cases three velocity impulses are needed to perform the transfer: the first at an unknown initial point along the low Earth orbit, the second at injection on the stable manifold, the third at injection in the final (periodic or capture) orbit. The final goal is in finding the optimization parameters, which are represented by the locations, directions, and magnitudes of the velocity impulses such that the overall delta-v of the transfer is minimized. This work proves how isomorphic mapping (in two distinct forms) can be profitably employed to optimize such transfers, by determining in a geometrical fashion the desired optimization parameters that minimize the delta-v budget required to perform the transfer.     

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。     

Venus transfer design by combining invariant manifolds and low-thrust arcs

The design of interplanetary trajectories based on patched circular restricted three body models is gradually becoming a valuable alternative to the classical patched conic approach. The main advantage offered by such a model is the possibility to exploit the manifold dynamics to move naturally far from or toward a body. Generally, propulsive maneuvers are required to match these structures. Low-thrust arcs offer the possibility to have a significant propellant mass reduction when moving from manifold to manifold. The aim of this paper is to present a methodology to design low-thrust trajectories between two planetary orbits connecting the manifolds of two circular three body systems. The approach is based on a grid search on the main parameters governing the solution to identify those trajectories moving within the manifold images on given Poincarè sections. The value of the Jacoby constant of the target libration point periodic orbit is chosen as stop condition for the thrusting phases. Ballistic arcs follow up to the proper Poincarè section intersection. A grid search for an Earth to Venus transfer is presented as test case.     

Stable spatial orbits around collinear libration points

A technique of generation of spatial periodic solutions to the restricted circular three-body problem from periodic orbits of the planar problem has been used for the families of orbits around collinear libration points L ₁ and L ₂. Developing the families obtained at the 1: 1 resonance, we have obtained stable solutions both in the Earth-Moon system and in the Sun-Earth system. Of course, the term “around the libration point” is rather conventional; the obtained orbits become more similar to the orbits around the smaller attracting body. The further development of the family of orbits “around” the libration point L ₂ in the Sun-Earth system made it possible to find the orbits satisfying the new, much more rigorous constraints on cooling the spacecraft of the Millimetron project.     

Optimization of the Flight of a Spacecraft with a Solar Sail from the Earth to Mars with a Perturbation Maneuver near Venus

The trajectories of the fastest flight of a spacecraft (SC) with a solar sail from the Earth's sphere of activity to the Martian sphere of activity including the section of a perturbation maneuver near Venus are investigated. The planetary spheres of activity are assumed to be point-like; i.e., the maneuver section and the initial and final positions of the SC coincide with the corresponding positions of the planets. The initial velocity of the SC is assumed to be equal to the Earth's velocity, so that no leveling of the velocities of the SC and Mars in the final point of the flight is required. The perturbation maneuver is considered as a jump of the heliocentric velocity of the SC at the point of its contact with Venus, which does not change the magnitude of its Venus-centric velocity. The orbits of planets are assumed to be circular and coplanar; the SC trajectory lies at the plane of these orbits. The sail is planar with a specularly reflecting surface. The trajectories of optimum flights are determined as a result of solving the boundary value problem of the Pontryagin maximum principle. The families of solutions to this problem depending on the initial angular positions of Venus and Mars are constructed by the method of continuation over a parameter.     

Halo orbits in the vicinity of the L 2 libration point in the Sun-Earth system

Methods are proposed for constructing the orbits of spacecraft remaining for long periods of time in the vicinity of the L ₂ libration point in the Sun-Earth system (so-called halo orbits), and the trajectories of uncontrolled flights from low near-Earth orbits to halo orbits. Halo orbits and flight trajectories are constructed in two stages: A suitable solution to a circular restricted three-body problem is first constructed and then transformed into the solution for a restricted four-body problem in view of the real motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. For a halo orbit, its prototype in the first stage is a combination of a periodic Lyapunov solution in the vicinity of the L ₂ point and lying in the plane of large-body motion, with the solution for the linear second-order system describing small deviations of the spacecraft from this plane along the periodic solution. The desired orbit is found as the solution to the three-body problem best approximating the prototype in the mean square. The constructed orbit serves as a similar prototype in the second stage. In both stages, the approximating solution is constructed by continuation along a parameter that is the length of the approximation interval. Flight trajectories are constructed in a similar manner. The prototype orbit in the first stage is a combination of a solution lying in the plane of large-body motion and a solution for a linear second-order system describing small deviations of the spacecraft from this plane. The planar solution begins near the Earth and over time tends toward the Lyapunov solution existing in the vicinity of the L ₂ point. The initial conditions of both prototypes and the approximating solutions correspond to the spacecraft’s departure from a low near-Earth orbit at a given distance, perigee, and inclination.     

Symmetric periodic solutions of the Hill’s problem. I

The planar circular Hill’s problem is considered, as well as its limiting integrable variant called the Hénon problem, for which the original Hill’s problem is a singular perturbation. Among solutions to the Hénon problem there are a countable number of generating solutions-arcs that are uniquely determined by the condition of successive passage through the origin of coordinates—singular point of equations of motion of the Hill’s problem. Using the generating solutions-arcs as “letters” of a certain “alphabet”, one can compose, according to some rules, the “words”: generating solutions of families of periodic orbits of the Hill’s problem. The sequence of letters in a word determines the order of orbit transfer from one invariant manifold to another, while the set of all properly specified words determine the system’s symbolic dynamics.     

双三体系统不变流形拼接成的低成本探月轨道

传统的探月轨道设计原理为二体模型框架下的Hohmann变轨理论,但1991年日本的Hiten探月器利用太阳的摄动,用比传统的方法更少的燃料完成了探月任务。利用三体问题非线性系统的不变流形设计了节省燃料的探月轨道。沿用JPL研究组的思路,将太阳-地球-月亮-航天器四体问题分解成太阳-地球-航天器和地球-月亮-航天器两个共面的圆形限制性三体问题,对Hiten类的探月轨道给出了更深刻的数学、力学解释;给出了流形的结构以及更合理的拼接方式;找到了发射位置、发射速度和拼接点;设计出了类似Hiten探月器的探月轨道,可比传统方法节省速度增量12%左右。结果证明了三体系统不变流形在登月轨道设计研究中的可行性和优越性。     

航天器相对运动建模及周期性相对运动求解

面向航天器编队飞行的需求,对椭圆参考轨道航天器非线性周期相对运动条件进行研究,提出了确定椭圆参考轨道编队航天器非线性周期性相对运动条件的新方法。首先,考虑非线性、椭圆轨道等因素,通过哈密尔顿-雅可比(HJ)方程和正则摄动理论,推导了在任意非线性摄动下相对运动的模型和获得不需消耗任何燃料的周期性相对运动轨道的条件;然后,采用时域配点法,结合改进的列文伯格-马夸尔特(LM)法对周期性相对运动的初值进行求解;最后,设计数值仿真算例,利用上述条件,得到不消耗任何燃料的周期性绕飞轨道,由此验证了本文所提模型和方法的正确性。     

Periodic solutions in three-dimensional restricted three-body problem: 2. Loss of symmetry at the 1:1 resonance

Within the framework of the circular restricted three-body problem a family of inverse periodic orbits around the two attracting bodies (the Egorov’s family) and families generated by it at the 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 resonances for three-dimensional orbits in the Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon systems are considered. Their relationship with families generated by orbits around the libration points L ₁, L ₂ and L ₃ is investigated. One of the families contains periodic solutions that seem promising as possible orbits for the space radio telescope of the Millimetron project.     

Transfer orbits to/from the Lagrangian points in the restricted four-body problem

The well-known Lagrangian points that appear in the planar restricted three-body problem are very important for astronautical applications. They are five points of equilibrium in the equations of motion, what means that a particle located at one of those points with zero velocity will remain there indefinitely. The collinear points (L₁, L₂ and L₃) are always unstable and the triangular points (L₄ and L₅) are stable in the present case studied (Earth–Sun system). They are all very good points to locate a space-station, since they require a small amount of ΔV (and fuel), the control to be used, for station-keeping. The triangular points are especially good for this purpose, since they are stable equilibrium points.In this paper, the planar restricted four-body problem applied to the Sun–Earth–Moon–Spacecraft is combined with numerical integration and gradient methods to solve the two-point boundary value problem. This combination is applied to the search of families of transfer orbits between the Lagrangian points and the Earth, in the Earth–Sun system, with the minimum possible cost of the control used. So, the final goal of this paper is to find the magnitude of the two impulses to be applied in the spacecraft to complete the transfer: the first one when leaving/arriving at the Lagrangian point and the second one when arriving/living at the Earth.The dynamics given by the restricted four-body problem is used to obtain the trajectory of the spacecraft, but not the position of the equilibrium points. Their position is taken from the restricted three-body model. The goal to use this model is to evaluate the perturbation of the Sun in those important trajectories, in terms of fuel consumption and time of flight. The solutions will also show how to apply the impulses to accomplish the transfers under this force model.The results showed a large collection of transfers, and that there are initial conditions (position of the Sun with respect to the other bodies) where the force of the Sun can be used to reduce the cost of the transfers.     

飞月轨道引力捕获设计方法研究

利用太阳引力摄动与月球绕飞设计的地月转移轨道（飞月轨道），与霍曼转移相比，虽然飞行时间较长（约三、四个月），但可显著节省速度增量（可达１５０米／秒），对无人月球探测器尤为适合。应用平面圆型限制性四体问题动力学模型，选择从月球出发的初始条件。借助“地心距－时间曲线”，从平面圆型限制性四体问题转换为一般的限制性四体问题。通过典型模拟计算，分析负向积分（从月球轨道出发）初始轨道参数及太阳方位对月球探测器     

基于序优化理论的晕轨道转移轨道设计

利用晕轨道的稳定流形可以设计从地球到晕轨道的转移轨道。但由于小幅度晕轨道的稳 定流形与地球停泊轨道无法相交,因此需采用两脉冲转移。微分修正法是求解两脉冲转移常 用的优化方法,虽然收敛速度快,但很难获取全局最优解,而且收敛半径小,如果初始猜想 与最优解相差很远,该方法可能会不收敛。将序优化理论与微分修正法相结合,利用序优化 思想缩小搜索空间,得到足够好的初始猜想,然后利用微分修正法快速收敛到满足终端精度 要求的解。仿真结果表明该方法有很好的收敛性,且计算量小。
     

Effect of a drag force due to absorption of solar radiation on solar sail orbital dynamics

While solar electromagnetic radiation can be used to propel a solar sail, it is shown that the Poynting–Robertson effect related to the absorbed portion of the radiation leads to a drag force in the transversal direction. The Poynting–Robertson effect is considered for escape trajectories, Heliocentric bound orbits and non-Keplerian bound orbits. For escape trajectories, this drag force diminishes the cruising velocity, which has a cumulative effect on the Heliocentric distance. For Heliocentric and non-Keplerian bound orbits, the Poynting–Robertson effect decreases its orbital speed, thereby causing it to slowly spiral towards the Sun. Since the Poynting–Robertson effect is due to the absorbed portion of the electromagnetic radiation, degradation of a solar sail implies that this effect becomes enhanced during a mission.     

Optimal heliostationary missions of high-performance sailcraft

The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and systematic study of optimal trajectories by characterizing sailcraft heliostationary orbits through the statement of a minimum-time problem. An indirect method is applied to calculate the control laws that minimize the mission time. An important contribution is a comparison of realistic with simplified (ideal) sail force models and an attempt is made to describe these models through a unified, compact formulation. Two cases are considered, that is the final heliostationary distance is left free or it is constrained to assume a specified value. Also, the problem is solved for both circular and elliptical parking orbits.