Related papers: Optimization, guidance, and control of low-thrust …
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…
We present an optimization-based approach for fuel-efficient spacecraft rendezvous to the Gateway, a space station that will be deployed on a near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon. The approach: i) ensures passive safety and…
The optimization of low-thrust, multi-revolution orbit transfer trajectories is often regarded as a difficult problem in modern astrodynamics. In this paper, a flexible and computationally efficient approach is presented for the…
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…
Low-thrust trajectories play a crucial role in optimizing scientific output and cost efficiency in asteroid belt missions. Unlike high-thrust transfers, low-thrust trajectories require solving complex optimal control problems. This…
Trajectory optimization of low-thrust perturbed orbit rendezvous is a crucial technology for space missions in low Earth orbits, which is difficult to solve due to its initial value sensitivity, especially when the transfer trajectory has…
Optimization of low-thrust trajectories that involve a larger number of orbit revolutions is considered a challenging problem. This paper describes a high-precision symplectic method and optimization techniques to solve the minimum-energy…
A numerical optimization study of minimum-fuel Earth-based orbital transfers from low-Earth orbit (LEO) to either medium-Earth orbit (MEO), high-Earth orbit (HEO), or geostationary orbit (GEO), is performed. Various values of maximum…
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…
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…
Agile attitude maneuvering maximizes the utility of remote sensing satellite constellations. By taking into account a satellite's physical properties and its actuator specifications, we may leverage the full performance potential of the…
In this paper, closed-loop entry guidance in a randomly perturbed atmosphere, using bank angle control, is posed as a stochastic optimal control problem. The entry trajectory, as well as the closed-loop controls, are both modeled as random…
In the Earth-Moon system, low-energy orbits are transfer trajectories from the earth to a circumlunar orbit that require less propellant consumption when compared to the traditional methods. In this work we use a Monte Carlo approach to…
We propose a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control approach to spacecraft rendezvous in non-Keplerian Lunar orbits. The approach is based on the Pontryagin Minimum Principle and allows the accomplishment of minimum-propellant maneuvers. The…
Generating low-thrust transfer trajectories between Earth and the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO), that is selected for NASA's Gateway, can be challenging due to the low control authority available from the propulsion system and the…
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…
Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs), a subclass of halo orbits around the L1 and L2 Lagrange points, are promising candidates for future lunar gateways in cis-lunar space and as staging orbits for lunar missions. Closed-loop control is…
Planetary bodies characterized by low gravitational acceleration, such as the Moon and near-Earth asteroids, impose unique locomotion constraints due to diminished contact forces and extended airborne intervals. Among traversal strategies,…
This paper addresses an optimal guidance problem concerning the vertical landing of a lunar lander with the objective of minimizing fuel consumption. The vertical landing imposes a final attitude constraint, which is treated as a final…
This paper presents a navigation strategy to fly to the Moon along a Weak Stability Boundary transfer trajectory. A particular strategy is devised to ensure capture into an uncontrolled relatively stable orbit at the Moon. Both uncertainty…