This research aims at ascertaining the existence and characteristics of natural long-term capture orbits around a celestial body of potential interest. The problem is investigated in the dynamical framework of the three-dimensional circular restricted three-body problem. Previous numerical work on two-dimensional trajectories provided numerical evidence of Conley’s theorem, proving that long-term capture orbits are topologically located near trajectories asymptotic to periodic libration point orbits. This work intends to extend the previous investigations to three-dimensional paths. In this dynamical context, several special trajectories exist, such as quasiperiodic orbits. These can be found as special solutions to the linear expansion of the dynamics equations and have already been proven to exist even using the nonlinear equations of motion. The nature of long-term capture orbits is thus investigated in relation to the dynamical conditions that correspond to asymptotic trajectories converging into quasiperiodic orbits. The analysis results in the definition of two parameters characterizing capture condition and the design of a capture strategy, guiding a spacecraft into long-term capture orbits around one of the primaries. Both the results are validated through numerical simulations of the three-dimensional nonlinear dynamics, including fourth-body perturbation, with special focus on the Jupiter–Ganymede system and the Earth–Moon system.

Long-term capture orbits for low-energy space missions / Carletta, Stefano; Pontani, Mauro; Teofilatto, Paolo. - In: CELESTIAL MECHANICS & DYNAMICAL ASTRONOMY. - ISSN 0923-2958. - 130:7(2018). [10.1007/s10569-018-9843-7]

Long-term capture orbits for low-energy space missions

Carletta, Stefano
;
Pontani, Mauro;Teofilatto, Paolo
2018

Abstract

This research aims at ascertaining the existence and characteristics of natural long-term capture orbits around a celestial body of potential interest. The problem is investigated in the dynamical framework of the three-dimensional circular restricted three-body problem. Previous numerical work on two-dimensional trajectories provided numerical evidence of Conley’s theorem, proving that long-term capture orbits are topologically located near trajectories asymptotic to periodic libration point orbits. This work intends to extend the previous investigations to three-dimensional paths. In this dynamical context, several special trajectories exist, such as quasiperiodic orbits. These can be found as special solutions to the linear expansion of the dynamics equations and have already been proven to exist even using the nonlinear equations of motion. The nature of long-term capture orbits is thus investigated in relation to the dynamical conditions that correspond to asymptotic trajectories converging into quasiperiodic orbits. The analysis results in the definition of two parameters characterizing capture condition and the design of a capture strategy, guiding a spacecraft into long-term capture orbits around one of the primaries. Both the results are validated through numerical simulations of the three-dimensional nonlinear dynamics, including fourth-body perturbation, with special focus on the Jupiter–Ganymede system and the Earth–Moon system.
2018
Asymptotic trajectories; Ballistic capture; Low-energy transit; Powered permanent capture; Spatial restricted three-body problem; Modeling and Simulation; Mathematical Physics; Astronomy and Astrophysics; Space and Planetary Science; Computational Mathematics; Applied Mathematics
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Long-term capture orbits for low-energy space missions / Carletta, Stefano; Pontani, Mauro; Teofilatto, Paolo. - In: CELESTIAL MECHANICS & DYNAMICAL ASTRONOMY. - ISSN 0923-2958. - 130:7(2018). [10.1007/s10569-018-9843-7]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1190035
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