0000000000282189
AUTHOR
M. W. Weeks
Guidance Trajectories for Spacecraft Rendezvous
In a previous paper of Miele et al. (J. Optim. Theory Appl. 132(1), 2007), we employed the single-subarc sequential gradient-restoration algorithm to optimize the three-dimensional rendezvous between a target spacecraft in a planar circular orbit and a chaser spacecraft with an initial separation distance and separation velocity. The achieved continuous solutions are characterized by two, three, or four subarcs depending on the performance index (time, fuel) and the constraints. In this paper, based on the solutions in Miele et al. (J. Optim. Theory Appl. 132(1), 2007), we employ the multiple-subarc sequential gradient-restoration algorithm to produce pieced guidance trajectories implementa…
Optimal Trajectories for Spacecraft Rendezvous
The efficient execution of a rendezvous maneuver is an essential component of various types of space missions. This work describes the formulation and numerical investigation of the thrust function required to minimize the time or fuel required for the terminal phase of the rendezvous of two spacecraft. The particular rendezvous studied concerns a target spacecraft in a circular orbit and a chaser spacecraft with an initial separation distance and separation velocity in all three dimensions. First, the time-optimal rendezvous is investigated followed by the fuel-optimal rendezvous for three values of the max-thrust acceleration via the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm. Then, the ti…
Rendezvous Guidance Trajectories via Multiple-Subarc Sequential Gradient-Restoration Algorithm
We consider the three-dimensional rendezvous between a target spacecraft in a circular orbit and a chaser spacecraft with an initial separation distance and an initial separation velocity. We assume that the chaser spacecraft has variable mass and that its trajectory is governed by three controls, one determining the thrust magnitude and two determining the thrust direction. We employ the Clohessy–Wiltshire equations, describing the relative motion of the chaser vis-a-vis the target, and the multiple-subarc sequential gradient-restoration algorithm to produce first optimal trajectories and then guidance trajectories for the following problems: P1—minimum time, fuel free; P2—minimum fuel, ti…