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We describe the Reversibility Error Method (REM) and its applications to planetary dynamics. REM is based on the time-reversibility analysis of the phase-space trajectories of conservative Hamiltonian systems. The round-off errors break the…
In the past few years, the number of confirmed planets has grown above 2000. It is clear that they represent a diversity of structures not seen in our own solar system. In addition to very detailed interior modeling, it is valuable to have…
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…
Spacecraft equipped with multiple propulsion modes or systems can offer enhanced performance and mission flexibility compared with traditional configurations. Despite these benefits, the trajectory optimization of spacecraft utilizing such…
We develop a waveform model to describe the inspiral, merger and ringdown of binary systems with comparable and intermediate mass-ratios. This model incorporates first-order conservative self-force corrections to the energy and angular…
The estimation of unknown values of parameters (or hidden variables, control variables) that characterise a physical system often relies on the comparison of measured data with synthetic data produced by some numerical simulator of the…
We propose a variant of alternating direction method of multiplier (ADMM) to solve constrained trajectory optimization problems. Our ADMM framework breaks a joint optimization into small sub-problems, leading to a low iteration cost and…
High-fidelity models are essential for accurately capturing nonlinear system dynamics. However, simulation of these models is often computationally too expensive and, due to their complexity, they are not directly suitable for analysis,…
Recently, there has been a surge of international interest in extraterrestrial exploration targeting the Moon, Mars, the moons of Mars, and various asteroids. This contribution discusses how current state-of-the-art Earth-based testing for…
Existing work on data-driven optimization focuses on problems in static environments, but little attention has been paid to problems in dynamic environments. This paper proposes a data-driven optimization algorithm to deal with the…
We discuss a role of a momentum vector in the description of dynamics of systems with variable mass, and show some ambiguity in expressing the 2nd Newtonian law of dynamics in terms of momentum change in time for variable-mass systems. A…
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…
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,…
Using the context of trajectory estimation and tracking for multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), we explore the challenges in applying high-gain observers to highly dynamic systems. The multi-rotor will operate in the presence of…
We develop a dynamical systems approach to prioritizing and selecting multiple recurring tasks with the aim of conferring a degree of deliberative goal selection to a mobile robot confronted with competing objectives. We take navigation as…
The Doppler-tracking data of the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft show an unmodelled constant acceleration in the direction of the inner Solar System. Serious efforts have been undertaken to find a conventional explanation for this effect, all…
This work introduces a non-intrusive model reduction approach for learning reduced models from partially observed state trajectories of high-dimensional dynamical systems. The proposed approach compensates for the loss of information due to…
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…
We present a trajectory concept for a small mission to the four inner large satellites of Saturn. Leveraging the high efficiency of electric propulsion, the concept enables orbit insertion around each of the moons, for arbitrarily long…
Low-thrust trajectory design relies heavily on repeated evaluations of fuel consumption and transfer feasibility, which require expensive optimal control solutions. In this work, we show these quantities can be accurately approximated by…