Related papers: The optimisation of low-acceleration interstellar …
Wireless communications is nowadays an important aspect of robotics. There are many applications in which a robot must move to a certain goal point while transmitting information through a wireless channel which depends on the particular…
We experimentally and numerically study the dependence of different navigation strategies regarding the effectivity of an active particle to reach a predefined target area. As the only control parameter, we vary the particle's propulsion…
Genetic algorithms are considered as one of the most efficient search techniques. Although they do not offer an optimal solution, their ability to reach a suitable solution in considerably short time gives them their respectable role in…
Future multi-spacecraft missions require robust autonomous trajectory optimization capabilities to ensure safe and efficient rendezvous operations. This capability hinges on solving non-convex optimal control problems in real-time, although…
The problem of minimum-time, low-thrust, Earth-to-Mars interplanetary orbital trajectory optimization is considered. The minimum-time orbital transfer problem is modeled as a four-phase optimal control problem where the four phases…
This paper studies the integrated spacecraft routing and trajectory optimization problem for satellite servicing missions involving partial en-route propellant replenishment. Unlike terrestrial routing problems, spacecraft operate in a…
This paper presents an analysis of optimal impact strategies to deflect potentially dangerous asteroids. To compute the increase in the minimum orbit intersection distance of the asteroid due to an impact with a spacecraft, simple…
The Starshot lightsail project aims to build an ultralight spacecraft ("nanocraft") that can reach Proxima Centauri b in approximately 20 years, requiring propulsion with a relativistic velocity of ~60 000 km/s. The spacecraft's…
Radiation hazard on board of a relativistic rocket can be of internal and external origin. Because of its highest specific energy density, antimatter is considered to be the preferred rocket fuel for accelerating a multi-ton rocket up to…
In the first papers of our series on interstellar generation ships we have demonstrated that the numerical code HERITAGE is able to calculate the success rate of multi-generational space missions. Thanks to the social and breeding…
This study presents a fast nonlinear programming algorithm for low-thrust multi-asteroid rendezvous missions. The core contribution is the derivation of analytical formulations for both first- and second-order gradients of low-thrust…
This paper addresses an Optimal Transport (OT)-based efficient multi-robot exploration problem, considering the energy constraints of a multi-robot system. The efficiency in this problem implies how a team of robots (agents) covers a given…
The Gateway will represent a primary space system useful for the Artemis program, Earth-Moon transportation, and deep space exploration. It is expected to serve as a staging location on the way to the lunar surface. This study focuses on…
The low-rank approximation is a complexity reduction technique to approximate a tensor or a matrix with a reduced rank, which has been applied to the simulation of high dimensional problems to reduce the memory required and computational…
The optimization of fuel-optimal low-thrust collision avoidance maneuvers (CAMs) in scenarios involving multiple encounters between spacecraft is addressed. The optimization's objective is the minimization of the total fuel consumption…
Multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle is a prevailing type of aerial robots with wide real-world applications. The energy efficiency of the robot is a critical aspect of its performance, determining the range and duration of the missions that…
Reliable and efficient trajectory optimization methods are a fundamental need for autonomous dynamical systems, effectively enabling applications including rocket landing, hypersonic reentry, spacecraft rendezvous, and docking. Within such…
Large-scale low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations offer a promising platform for global low-latency networking, aided by faster propagation in free space than in fiber and copper. In such systems, end-to-end latency is largely determined…
This paper presents the preliminary design of the descent and landing trajectory of the ESA Argonaut lunar lander. The mission scenario and driving system constraints are presented and accounted for in the design of a fuel-optimal…
MPC (Model predictive control)-based motion planning and trajectory generation are essential in applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles, robotic manipulators, and rocket control. However, the real-time implementation of such…