Lunar orbit dynamics for Lunisat missions

Lunisat represents a next-generation microsatellite aimed at orbiting the Moon, and equipped with dispensers for the release of nanosatellites. This research is focused on orbital dynamics of both the main microsatellite and the nanosatellites after release. Due to the masconian character of the lunar mass distribution, low altitude, near-circular lunar orbits are affected by a considerable number of harmonics of the Moon gravitational field. Nonsingular equinoctial orbit elements are employed for orbit propagations, in conjunction with numerical averaging, which is a numerical technique that allows substantial computational improvements. The dynamical model considers a large number of harmonics of the Moon gravitational field, as well as the Earth and Sun perturbing influence as third bodies. Low-altitude lunar satellites turn out to impact the Moon surface after a few weeks or months. In case of unsatisfactory lifetime, two simple orbit maintenance strategies are evaluated, together with the related propellant budget. Nanosatellites will be released from Lunisat by means of springs. The orbit of each nanosatellite depends on the release conditions, i.e. the relative velocity magnitude and direction. This work investigates the nanosatellite lifetimes as functions of these conditions. Lastly, minimum-time low-thrust transfers for reducing the orbit altitude are investigated, both for nanosatellite release and for the conclusive phase of the Lunisat mission, which finally terminates with the impact on the Moon surface.