Conveners
Low Thrust #1
- Jeroen Van den Eynde (European Space Agency)
- Simone Centuori (DEIMOS Space)
Description
Computation of low thrust orbits in any given mission arc; optimal trajectories involving low thrust; low thrust transfer to LEO and GEO; comparison of electric and chemical propulsion trajectories; design and optimization of low thrust orbit transfers; low thrust station keeping; low thrust orbital transfers in the Two-Body problem;
The continuing development of solar-sail technology in combination with the rising interest in a mission to the Sun-Earth $L_5$ point for heliophysics and the search for Trojan asteroids, raises the question of using solar sailing as the primary propulsion method to enable such a mission. This paper therefore investigates a range of solar-sail transfers to the $L_5$ point, departing from...
We consider the problem of optimal low-thrust spacecraft geostationary orbit (GEO) insertion from initial circular orbit with 800 km height and 51.6 degrees inclination. Minimal time for electric propulsion insertion of considered nuclear powered heavy spacecraft [1] is about 117 days. Significant amount of this time (~90 days) the spacecraft spends in regions with harsh space radiation...
