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Armed with an astrolabe and Kepler's laws one can arrive at accurate estimates of the orbits of planets.
A novel non-reactive thrust principle based on controlling the angular momentum of a material body is proposed. Theoretically, it is shown that asymmetric emission/absorption of low-energy particle fluxes with spin in a direction…
We model accelerated trips at high-velocity aboard light sails (beam-powered propulsion in general) and radiation rockets (thrust by anisotropic emission of radiation) in terms of Kinnersley's solution of general relativity and its…
During its 5 year mission, the Kepler spacecraft has uncovered a diverse population of planetary systems with orbital configurations ranging from single-transiting planets to systems of multiple planets co-transiting the parent star. By…
We focus on preventing collisions between debris and debris, for which there is no current, effective mitigation strategy. We investigate the feasibility of using a medium-powered (5 kW) ground-based laser combined with a ground-based…
The increasing number of space missions may overwhelm ground support infrastructure, prompting the need for autonomous deep-space guidance, navigation, and control (GN\&C) systems. These systems offer sustainable and cost-effective…
The trajectory and the orbital velocity are determined for an object moving in a gravitational system, in terms of fundamental and independent variables. In particular, considering a path on equipotential line, the elliptical orbit is…
When rotation is not taken into account, the measurement of the Gravitational Redshift can provide unique information about the compactness ($M/R$) of the star. Rotation alters the gravitational redshift rendering thereby a unique…
The precise radial velocity technique is a cornerstone of exoplanetary astronomy. Astronomers measure Doppler shifts in the star's spectral features, which track the line-of/sight gravitational accelerations of a star caused by the planets…
We calculate the precession of Keplerian orbits under the influence of arbitrary central-force perturbations. Our result is in the form of a one-dimensional integral that is straightforward to evaluate numerically. We demonstrate the…
Despite the large amount of high quality data generated in recent space encounters with asteroids, the majority of our knowledge about these objects comes from ground based observations. Asteroids travelling in orbits that are potentially…
Approaching a tumbling target safely is a critical challenge in space debris removal missions utilizing robotic manipulators onboard servicing satellites. In this work, we propose a trajectory planning method based on nonlinear optimization…
Proposals for ground-based laser remediation of space debris rely on the creation of appropriately directed ablation-driven impulses to either divert the fragment or drive it into an orbit with a perigee allowing atmospheric capture. For a…
The equations governing the vertical structure of a stationary keplerian accretion disc are presented. The model is based on the alpha-viscosity, includes self-gravity, convective transport and turbulent pressure. A few properties of the…
The stellar obliquity of a planetary system is often used to help constrain the system's formation and evolution. One of the mechanisms to reorient the stellar spin involves a secular resonance crossing due to the dissipation of the…
In the framework of focused transport theory, adiabatic deceleration arises from adiabatic focusing in the solar wind frame and from differential solar wind convection. An explicit formula is given for the deceleration of individual…
In massive stars, rotation and oscillatory waves can have a tight interplay. In order to assess the importance of additional angular momentum transport mechanisms other than rotation, we compare the asteroseismic properties of a uniformly…
Modern N-body techniques for planetary dynamics are generally based on symplectic algorithms specially adapted to the Kepler problem. These methods have proven very useful in studying planet formation, but typically require the timestep for…
We studied the creep motion of granular materials in a gradient potential field that is created using a slow spin-up experiment device. Natural sand confined in the acrylic box is spun up by a controlled turntable and the surface flows are…
The maximum strength of gravity at the surface of an object of a given mass is not attained for a spherical shape, but for a small departure from sphericity.