Related papers: Multiple-impulse orbital maneuver with limited obs…
A new shape-based geometric method (SBGM) is proposed for generation of multi-impulse transfer trajectories between arbitrary coplanar oblique orbits via a heuristic algorithm. The key advantage of the proposed SBGM includes a significant…
Gateway will represent a primary logistic infrastructure in cislunar space. The identification of efficient orbit transfers capable of connecting Earth, Moon, and Gateway paves the way for enabling refurbishment, servicing, and utilization…
This paper presents a new fast and robust algorithm that provides fuel-optimal impulsive control input sequences that drive a linear time-variant system to a desired state at a specified time. This algorithm is applicable to a broad class…
This study presents autonomous guidance and control strategies for the purpose of reconfiguring close-range multi-satellite formations. The formation under consideration includes $N$ under-actuated deputy satellites and an uncontrolled…
Recent findings on retrograde co-orbital mean-motion resonances in the Earth-Moon system, highlight the potential use of spacecraft in retrograde resonances. Based on these discoveries, this study investigates retrograde co-orbital…
This paper proposes an on-orbit servicing logistics optimization framework that is capable of performing the short-term operational scheduling and long-term strategic planning of sustainable servicing infrastructures that involve…
Spacecraft operations are influenced by uncertainties such as dynamics modeling, navigation, and maneuver execution errors. Although mission design has traditionally incorporated heuristic safety margins to mitigate the effect of…
A robust drift-safe rendezvous trajectory optimization tool is developed in this work, with applications to orbital rendezvous and proximity operations. The method is based on direct collocation and utilizes a sequential convex programming…
In order to avoid collisions with space debris, the near Earth orbit must be continuously scanned by either ground- or spaced-based facilities. For the low Earth orbit, radar telescopes are the workhorse for this task, especially due to…
The search of high-order periodic orbits has been typically restricted to problems with symmetries that help to reduce the dimension of the search space. Well-known examples include reversible maps with symmetry lines. The present work…
In this paper a direct method based on a transcription by finite elements in time has been used to design optimal interplanetary trajectories, exploiting a combination of gravity assist maneuvers and low-thrust propulsion. A multiphase…
Simulating curvature due to gravity through warped surfaces is a common visualization aid in Physics education. We reprise a recent experiment exploring orbital trajectories on a precise 3D-printed surface to mimic Newtonian gravity, and…
Designing spacecraft trajectories remains challenging in the presence of stochastic effects such as maneuver execution errors and observation uncertainties. Although covariance control and belief-space planning provide useful tools for…
Multi-revolution low-thrust trajectory optimization problems are important and challenging in space mission design. In this paper, an efficient, accurate, and widely applicable pseudospectral method is proposed to solve multi-revolution…
This paper investigates the use of Reinforcement Learning for the robust design of low-thrust interplanetary trajectories in presence of severe disturbances, modeled alternatively as Gaussian additive process noise, observation noise,…
We propose a novel scheme for surveillance of a dynamic ground convoy moving along a non-linear trajectory, by aerial agents that maintain a uniformly spaced formation on a time-varying elliptical orbit encompassing the convoy. Elliptical…
The numerical simulation of realistic reactive flows is a major challenge due to the stiffness and high dimension of the corresponding kinetic differential equations. Manifold-based model reduction techniques address this problem by…
The Gravity Assisted Maneuver has been applied in lots of space missions, to change the spacecraft heliocentric velocity vector and the geometry of the orbit, after the close approach to a celestial body, saving propellant consumption. It…
Space mission design places a premium on cost and operational efficiency. The search for new science and life beyond Earth calls for spacecraft that can deliver scientific payloads to geologically rich yet hazardous landing sites. At the…
Performing orbital insertion around Mars using aerocapture instead of a propulsive orbit insertion manoeuvre allows to save resources and/or increase the payload mass fraction. Aerocapture has never been employed to date because of the high…