Related papers: Breaking traditions: introducing a surrogate Prime…
Vertical equilibrium (VE) models have been introduced as computationally efficient alternatives to traditional mass and momentum balance equations for fluid flow in porous media. Since VE models are only accurate in regions where phase…
Interstellar comets arrive with key ingredients for deep-space platforms already in place: volatile inventories convertible to propellant, natural rotation providing continuous attitude variation, and hyperbolic trajectories that carry them…
This paper presents a novel Lagrangian approach to attitude tracking for rigid spacecraft using unit quaternions, where the motion equations of a spacecraft are described by a four degrees of freedom Lagrangian dynamics subject to a…
An aerial manipulator, comprising a multirotor base and a robotic arm, is subject to significant dynamic coupling between these two components. Therefore, achieving precise and robust motion control is a challenging yet important objective.…
Preliminary spacecraft trajectory optimization is a parameter dependent global search problem that aims to provide a set of solutions that are of high quality and diverse. In the case of numerical solution, it is dependent on the original…
Reachability analysis plays a central role in low-thrust spacecraft trajectory optimization by identifying which target states can be achieved under constraints on time, thrust, and propellant. Classical approaches construct reachable sets…
We assess the dynamical feasibility of redirecting small volatile-bearing trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) onto Mars-impacting orbits using continuous low-thrust propulsion and a single gravity-assist encounter. The study considers two…
This paper presents a methodology for the concurrent first-stage preliminary design and ascent trajectory optimization, with application to a Vega-derived Light Launch Vehicle. The reuse as first stage of an existing upper-stage (Zefiro 40)…
We consider a non-rotating, massive test particle acted upon by a "pressure"-type, non-geodesic acceleration arising from a certain general class of gravitational theories with nonminimal coupling between the matter and the metric. The…
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…
The dynamics of the planar circular restricted three-body problem with Kerr-like primaries in the context of a beyond-Newtonian approximation is studied. The beyond-Newtonian potential is developed by using the Fodor-Hoenselaers-Perj\'es…
This study addresses optimal impulsive trajectory design within the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP), presenting a global optimization-based approach to identify minimum $\Delta V$ transfers between periodic orbits, including…
In many contexts the modal properties of a structure change, either due to the impact of a changing environment, fatigue, or due to the presence of structural damage. For example during flight, an aircraft's modal properties are known to…
For low-energy missions to the Moon and beyond, Ballistic Capture has proven to be a valuable technique for enabling orbital insertion while alleviating propulsion system requirements. This approach offers two key advantages. First, it…
Surrogate markers offer the potential to reduce the burden of data collection by replacing costly or invasive primary outcomes with more accessible measurements, provided that they can faithfully indicate the effectiveness of a treatment.…
Equipping a spacecraft with multiple solar-powered electric engines (of the same or different types) compounds the task of optimal trajectory design due to presence of both real-valued inputs (power input to each engine in addition to the…
The preliminary mission design of spacecraft missions to asteroids often involves, in the early phases, the selection of candidate target asteroids. The final result of such an analysis is a list of asteroids, ranked with respect to the…
We give the first mathematically rigorous analysis of an emerging approach to finite element analysis (see, e.g., Bauer et al. [Appl. Numer. Math., 2017]), which we hereby refer to as the surrogate matrix methodology. This methodology is…
A new method is proposed to numerically integrate a dynamical system on a manifold such that the trajectory stably remains on the manifold and preserves first integrals of the system. The idea is that given an initial point in the manifold…
The $N$-body problem is of historical significance because it was the first implementation of the Newtonian dynamical laws for the description of our Solar System. Motivated by this, the project's goal is to revisit this problem for small…