A Mission Planning Technique for Low-Thrust Synergetic Gravity-Assist Missions
Published in Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, 2024
Multiple gravity assists are an important technique for science missions with associated interplanetary trajectories. A low-thrust synergetic maneuver is a unique technique that is applied in this research. This technique performs thrusted maneuvers only while inside a planet’s sphere of influence. In order to apply such a technique, Tisserand’s graphs and porkchop plots are analyzed to find proper sequences and phasing results. A heuristic optimization method is used to find each optimal thrust profile. The method is designed to quickly run on a desktop PC (run time of minutes to hours).
Recommended citation: G. Paik, R. Melton (2024). "A Mission Planning Technique for Low-Thrust Synergetic Gravity-Assist Missions." AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference. AAS 24-348
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