Trajectories to Mercury with electric propulsion and multiple gravity assists are optimized by means of an indirect optimization method; flybys of the Earth, Venus (twice) and Mercury (three times) are performed. The optimal trajectories exploit resonant orbits and V1 leveraging to maximize the final mass. Suitable tentative solutions to allow for convergence are found by separately optimizing the leg from Earth to the first Mercury flyby and the leg from this point to the rendezvous, and then joining them together. Optimal-phasing trajectories are first computed and then used to find actual mission opportunities; very good, low-DeltaV opportunities are found with arrival in January 2019 and December 2026. A less interesting mission is found in correspondence of the BepiColombo mission, which will be launched in April 2012 and will arrive in April 2017; the departure date is similar and a slightly lower velocity increment is required, but the rendezvous is delayed to January 2018.
Low-Thrust Trajectories to Mercury with Multiple Gravity Assists / L., Casalino; Colasurdo, Guido; M., ROSA SENTINELLA. - ELETTRONICO. - (2007). (Intervento presentato al convegno 43th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit tenutosi a Cincinnati, OH, United States nel July 8-11, 2007).
Low-Thrust Trajectories to Mercury with Multiple Gravity Assists
COLASURDO, Guido;
2007
Abstract
Trajectories to Mercury with electric propulsion and multiple gravity assists are optimized by means of an indirect optimization method; flybys of the Earth, Venus (twice) and Mercury (three times) are performed. The optimal trajectories exploit resonant orbits and V1 leveraging to maximize the final mass. Suitable tentative solutions to allow for convergence are found by separately optimizing the leg from Earth to the first Mercury flyby and the leg from this point to the rendezvous, and then joining them together. Optimal-phasing trajectories are first computed and then used to find actual mission opportunities; very good, low-DeltaV opportunities are found with arrival in January 2019 and December 2026. A less interesting mission is found in correspondence of the BepiColombo mission, which will be launched in April 2012 and will arrive in April 2017; the departure date is similar and a slightly lower velocity increment is required, but the rendezvous is delayed to January 2018.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
