大行星、月球和小天体环绕型探测器的轨道问题

针对环绕型探测器的轨道,以具有不同物理特征的大天体(金星、火星和月球等)为例,根据它们的质量大小(决定其引力作用范围的大小)、密度分布和形状特征(决定其非球形引力场的特征),具体阐述了它们各自环绕型探测器轨道的可能形式和不同的变化特征,另外介绍了小天体探测时的两种伴飞形式。关于环绕型探测器的轨道特征,如月球无大气,对其低轨探测器而言没有能量耗散影响,却同样有轨道寿命问题,而且由于其质量分布不均匀,这种现象还与轨道倾角有密切关系;而对火星的环绕型探测器而言,尽管有类似现象,但与轨道倾角的关系却大不相同。这些重要的轨道变化特征,可为深空探测中目标轨道的选择和设计提供依据。

Orbits of Orbiting Probes Around Planets, Moon and Small Celestial Bodies

The features of orbiting probes around celestial major bodies are discussed. The major bodies are selected with different physical characteristics, depending on their masses which determine the influence sphere and their density distributions and shapes which determine the gravity field. The possible motions and different characteristics of the orbiting probes around respective celestial bodies are discussed in detail, together with the discussion on two forms of formation flying. Lunar probes, whose energy dissipation is not a concern as for planetary probes, still have a problem on orbit life. Since the lunar mass distribution is not uniform, the orbit life is closely related to the orbit inclination. For Mars probes, although similar phenomenon exists, the rela- tion with orbit inclination is different. These major features of orbit variation can be used to serve the orbit design and selection in deep space exploration.