相关论文: Design and performance of low-energy orbits for th…

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,…

In this paper, a surface geometric constraint approach is used in designing the orbits of a solar sail. We solve the solar sail equation of motion by obtaining a generalized Laplace-Runge-Lenz (LRL) vector with the assumption that the cone…

We investigate the long-term motion of Saturn's North-Pole Hexagon and the structure of its associated eastward jet, using Cassini ISS and ground-based images from 2008 to 2014. We show that both are persistent features that have survived…

Of profound astrobiological interest, Enceladus appears to have a global subsurface ocean that is salty, indicating water-rock reaction at present or in the past, important for its habitability. Here, we investigate how salinity and the…

Saturn possesses a dynamically rich system containing numerous moons and impressive rings. Whether the rings of Saturn are much younger than the planet itself has been a long-open question; more recently a young age has been proposed for…

The highest priority Planetary Flagship from the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey is the Uranus Orbiter and Probe. This mission enables broad, cross-disciplinary science of an ice giant system, including the planet, moons,…

Motility is a ubiquitous feature of microbial life on Earth, and is widely regarded as a promising biosignature candidate. In the search for motile organisms, it is therefore valuable to have rough estimates for the number of such microbes…

The transiting planet K2-18 b is one of the best candidates for a relatively nearby world harboring biological life. The long-term orbital evolution of this planet is investigated using theoretical and purely numerical techniques for two…

Recent discoveries imply that Early Mars was habitable for life-as-we-know-it; that Enceladus might be habitable; and that many stars have Earth-sized exoplanets whose insolation favors surface liquid water. These exciting discoveries make…

There exist cislunar and trans-lunar libration points near the Moon, which are referred as the LL1 and LL2 points respectively and can generate the different types of low-energy trajectories transferring from Earth to Moon. The…

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…

Geophysical measurements can reveal the structure of icy ocean worlds and cycling of volatiles. The associated density, temperature, sound speed, and electrical conductivity of such worlds thus characterizes their habitability. To explore…

Enceladus is a saturnian satellite that should have liquid water inside of it (subsurface ocean). Measurements and experiments on water plume from Enceladus have revealed that Enceladus' ocean contains several salts such as NaCl. On the…

This review focuses on recent results in advancing our understanding of the location and distribution of habitable exo-Earth environments. We first review the qualities that define a habitable planet/moon environment. We extend these…

Ongoing and future space missions aim to identify potentially habitable planets in our Solar System and beyond. Planetary habitability is determined not only by a planet's current stellar insolation and atmospheric properties, but also by…

Warm Saturn type exoplanets orbiting M-dwarfs are particularly suitable for in-depth cloud characterisation through transmission spectroscopy due to their favourable stellar to planetary radius contrast. However, modelling cloud formation…

Motivated by the current search for exomoons, this paper considers the stability of tidal equilibrium for hierarchical three-body systems containing a star, a planet, and a moon. In this treatment, the energy and angular momentum budgets…

Enceladus exhibits some remarkable phenomena, including water geysers spraying through surface cracks, a global ice shell that is librating atop an ocean, a large luminosity, and rapid outward orbital migration. Here we model the coupled…

Enceladus is a primary target for astrobiology due to the $\rm H_2O$ plume ejecta measured by the Cassini spacecraft and the inferred subsurface ocean sustained by tidal heating. Sourcing the plumes via a direct connection from the ocean to…

The past decade has witnessed a growing interest in lunar exploration missions. The autonomy of lunar surface and in-orbit missions is, however, dependent on accurate and instantaneous navigation services. These services can not be provided…