Related papers: Optimal Multi-Mode Propulsion Mission Design Using…
We present a purely algebraic formulation (i.e. polynomial equations only) of the minimum-cost multi-impulse orbit transfer problem without time constraints, while keeping all the variables with a precise physical meaning. We apply general…
Low-thrust electric propulsion missions are often designed under simplifying assumptions such as constant thrust or fixed specific impulse, neglecting the strong coupling between trajectory dynamics, spacecraft power availability, and…
We consider the finite horizon optimal steering of the joint state probability distribution subject to the angular velocity dynamics governed by the Euler equation. The problem and its solution amounts to controlling the spin of a rigid…
This paper studies optimal time-bounded control in multi-mode systems with discrete costs. Multi-mode systems are an important subclass of linear hybrid systems, in which there are no guards on transitions and all invariants are global.…
This paper presents a time-constrained model predictive control strategy for the six degree-of-freedom autonomous rendezvous, proximity, operations and docking problem between a controllable "deputy" satellite and an uncontrolled "chief"…
We solve the minimum-thrust optimal trajectory generation problem for the transition of a tiltwing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft using convex optimisation. The method is based on a change of differential operator that allows…
In the first part of this paper, inspired by the geometric method of Jean-Pierre Marec, we consider the two-impulse Hohmann transfer problem between two coplanar circular orbits as a constrained nonlinear programming problem. By using the…
This study applies a new approach, the Theory of Functional Connections (TFC), to solve the two-point boundary-value problem (TPBVP) in non-Keplerian orbit transfer. The perturbations considered are drag, solar radiation pressure,…
The paper provides a new approach to utilizing space environmental forces in time- and energy-optimal, propellant-less spacecraft rendezvous missions. Considering the nonlinear form of the relative dynamic equations, rendezvous missions are…
Homotopy methods have been widely utilized to solve low-thrust orbital transfer problems, however, it is not guaranteed that the optimal solution can be obtained by the existing homotopy methods. In this paper, a new homotopy method is…
The minimum-fuel orbital transfer is analyzed in the case of a launcher upper stage using a constantly thrusting engine. The thrust level is assumed to be constant and its value is optimized together with the thrust direction. A closed-loop…
Spacecraft operations are influenced by uncertainties such as dynamics modeling, navigation, and maneuver execution errors. Although mission design has traditionally incorporated heuristic safety margins to mitigate the effect of…
In recent years, stable and unstable manifolds of invariant objects (such as libration points and periodic orbits) have been increasingly recognized as an efficient tool for designing transfer trajectories in space missions. However, most…
This paper proposes a solution for multiple-impulse orbital maneuvers near circular orbits for special cases where orbital observations are not globally available and the spacecraft is being observed through a limited window from a ground…
Driven by the desire to find positions that satisfy keepout constraints for a space-based telescope mission, this work develops a process for tracing a point in space in the regime of the restricted three-body problem to a halo orbit,…
This paper presents a novel fuel-optimal guidance and control methodology for spacecraft swarm reconfiguration in Restricted Multi-Body Problems (RMBPs) with a guarantee of passive safety, maintaining miss distance even under abrupt loss of…
In this contribution, the optimal stabilization problem of periodic orbits is studied via invariant manifold theory and symplectic geometry. The stable manifold theory for the optimal point stabilization case is generalized to the case of…
We consider the Earth-Moon planar circular restricted three body problem and present a proof of the existence orbits, which approach arbitrarily close to one of the primary masses, and at the same time after each approach they move away…
The optimization of fuel-optimal low-thrust collision avoidance maneuvers (CAMs) in scenarios involving multiple encounters between spacecraft is addressed. The optimization's objective is the minimization of the total fuel consumption…
This work presents a sequential convex program method to compute fuel-optimal collision avoidance maneuvers for long-term encounters. The low-thrust acceleration model is used to account for the control, but the method can compute…