English
Related papers

Related papers: Optimal Low-Thrust Orbit Transfers Made Easy: A Di…

200 papers

This contribution focuses on the design of low-energy transfers between planetary moons and presents an efficient technique to compute trajectories characterized by desirable behaviors in the vicinities of the departure and destination…

Chaotic Dynamics · Physics 2023-08-22 David Canales , Kathleen C. Howell , Elena Fantino , Annika J. Gilliam

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…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2024-06-03 Chiara Pozzi , Mauro Pontani , Alessandro Beolchi , Elena Fantino

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…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2025-07-03 Yilin Zou , Fanghua Jiang

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…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2011-05-11 Massimiliano Vasile , Franco Bernelli-Zazzera

Low-thrust trajectory design and in-flight control remain two of the most challenging topics for new-generation satellite operations. Most of the solutions currently implemented are based on reference trajectories and lead to sub-optimal…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2022-11-16 Carlos M. Casas , Belen Carro , Antonio Sanchez-Esguevillas

The commercial interest in producing low-cost space missions by exploiting the superior propellant management of low-thrust propulsion technology has become increasingly popular. Typical to such missions is the design of transfer…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2024-01-19 Madhusudan Vijayakumar , William Skamser , Ossama Abdelkhalik

The goal of the present paper is to make a numerical analysis of parametric optimization of low thrust orbital maneuver. An orbital maneuver occurs when it is necessary to modify the orbit a space vehicle to change its function or to…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2023-07-14 Antonio Fernando Bertachini de Almeida Prado

This paper presents an adaptive observer-based navigation strategy for spacecraft in Circular Relative Orbit (CRO) scenarios, addressing challenges in proximity operations like formation flight and uncooperative target inspection. The…

Robotics · Computer Science 2025-09-03 Dario Ruggiero , Mauro Mancini , Elisa Capello

This paper addresses the problem of planning successive Space Debris Collecting missions so that they can be achieved at minimal cost by a generic vehicle. The problem mixes combinatorial optimization to select and order the debris among a…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2014-04-08 Max Cerf

In this paper, the time- and propellant-optimal low-thrust rephasing problems in circular orbit are studied to depict their solution spaces in an atlas. The number of key parameters that settle the rephasing problems is reduced by…

Dynamical Systems · Mathematics 2022-09-16 Di Wu , Fanghua Jiang , Hexi Baoyin

Low-thrust engines for interplanetary spacecraft transfers allow cost-effective space missions with flexible launch and arrival dates. To find fuel-optimal trajectories, an optimal control problem is to be solved. Pontryagin's Maximum…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2023-11-08 Andrea Carlo Morelli , Carmine Giordano , Riccardo Bonalli , Francesco Topputo

A method is presented to solve a stochastic, nonlinear optimal control problem representative of spacecraft trajectory design under uncertainty. The problem is reformulated as a chance constrained nonlinear program, or what is known as a…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2024-01-05 William Fife , Pradipto Ghosh , Kyle DeMars

Long time-duration low-thrust nonlinear optimal spacecraft trajectory global search is a computationally and time expensive problem characterized by clustering patterns in locally optimal solutions. During preliminary mission design,…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2025-11-24 Jannik Graebner , Ryne Beeson

This paper addresses the critical problem of co-optimizing the optimal locations for orbital depots and the sequence of in-space servicing for a satellite constellation. While most traditional studies used network optimization for this…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-08-27 Euihyeon Choi , Koki Ho

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,…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2020-08-20 Alessandro Zavoli , Lorenzo Federici

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…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-01-28 Yuji Takubo , Tommaso Guffanti , Daniele Gammelli , Marco Pavone , Simone D'Amico

This paper presents a trajectory optimization and control approach for the guidance of an orbital four-arm robot in extravehicular activities. The robot operates near the target spacecraft, enabling its arm's end-effectors to reach the…

This work focuses on minimum-time low-thrust orbit transfers from a prescribed low Earth orbit to a specified low lunar orbit. The well-established indirect formulation of minimum-time orbit transfers is extended to a multibody dynamical…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2024-06-04 Alessandro Beolchi , Mauro Pontani , Chiara Pozzi , Elena Fantino

This work presents a novel algorithm for impulsive optimal control of linear time-varying systems with the inclusion of input magnitude constraints. Impulsive optimal control problems, where the optimal input solution is a sum of delta…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2026-03-17 Ethan Foss , Simone D'Amico

The rapid expansion of mega-constellations in low Earth orbits has posed significant challenges to space traffic management, necessitating periodic inspections of satellites to ensure the sustainability of the space environment when…

Systems and Control · Electrical Eng. & Systems 2025-07-08 An-Yi Huang , Hong-Xin Shen , Zhao Li , Cong Sun , Chao Sheng , Zheng-Zhong Kuai