Related papers: Optimal Multi-Mode Propulsion Mission Design Using…
This paper solves and analyzes a trajectory optimization problem to deflect Earth-crossing objects (ECOs) employing continuous thrust obtained using a laser ablative system. The optimal control is determined for various initial ECO-Earth…
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…
This paper presents a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) scheme for maintaining a spacecraft within a specified family of periodic orbits near the libration points in cislunar space. Unlike traditional approaches that track a…
In this paper, we improve upon a method for optimal control of quadrupedal robots which utilizes a full-order model of the system. The original method utilizes offline nonlinear optimal control to synthesize a control scheme which…
In this paper we present a fast method based on successive convexification for generating fuel-optimized spacecraft rendezvous trajectories in the presence of mixed-integer constraints. A recently developed paradigm of state-triggered…
This study proposes a new automated strategy for designing and optimizing three-dimensional interplanetary low-thrust (LT) trajectories. The method formulates the design as a hybrid optimal control problem and solves it using a two-step…
Optimal control problems are formulated and efficient computational procedures are proposed for combined orbital and rotational maneuvers of a rigid body in three dimensions. The rigid body is assumed to act under the influence of forces…
The minimum-fuel low-thrust transfer between circular orbits is formulated using the Edelbaum's averaged dynamics with the addition of the nodal precession due to the first zonal term. The extremal analysis shows that an optimal transfer is…
In this paper, the L1-minimization for the translational motion of a spacecraft in a circular restricted three-body problem (CRTBP) is considered. Necessary con- ditions are derived by using the Pontryagin Maximum Principle, revealing the…
In this paper, we consider the problem of minimum-time optimal control for a dynamical system with initial state uncertainties and propose a sequential convex programming (SCP) solution framework. We seek to minimize the expected terminal…
This paper proposes an algorithm which can be used in hybrid Coulomb spacecraft formations to minimize propellant by maximizing the amount of force that is generated by Coulomb forces. This problem is difficult due to the nonlinearities…
Direct collocation methods are powerful tools to solve trajectory optimization problems in robotics. While their resulting trajectories tend to be dynamically accurate, they may also present large kinematic errors in the case of constrained…
Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are attractive exploration targets due to their accessibility, scientific value, and resources. Although trajectory design has revealed efficient pathways to these bodies, systematic strategies for Earth-NEO…
The classical fuel-optimal two-impulse rendezvous problem between Keplerian orbits is revisited from a family-based perspective. Conventional approaches often yield isolated optimal solutions whose mutual relationships remain unclear; yet,…
The proposal of increasingly complex and innovative space endeavours poses growing demands for mission designers. In order to meet the established requirements and constraints while maintaining a low fuel cost, the use of low-energy…
This work presents a new method for generating impulsive trajectories in restricted two-body systems by leveraging Riemannian geometry. The proposed method transforms the standard trajectory optimization problem into a purely geometric one…
Near-rectilinear halo orbits (NRHOs) around Earth-Moon L2 in the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem (CR3BP) exhibit a complex dynamical landscape, featuring a band of normally elliptic orbits embedded within regions of strong instability.…
In this paper we present a new approach to solve the fuel-efficient powered descent guidance problem on large planetary bodies with no atmosphere (e.g. the Moon or Mars) using the recently developed Theory of Functional Connections. The…
Traditional analytical theories of celestial mechanics are not well-adapted when dealing with highly elliptical orbits. On the one hand, analytical solutions are quite generally expanded into power series of the eccentricity and so limited…
We present an algorithm to perform fuel-optimal stationkeeping for spacecraft in unstable halo orbits with additional constraints to ensure safety in the event of a control failure. We formulate a convex trajectory-optimization problem to…