Capacity of Sun-driven lunar swingby sequences and their application in asteroid retrieval
Capacity of Sun-driven lunar swingby sequences and their application in asteroid retrieval
For deep-space mission design, the gravity of the Sun and the Moon can be first considered and utilized. Their gravity can provide the energy change for launching spacecraft and retrieving spacecraft as well as asteroids. Regarding an asteroid retrieval mission, it can lead to the mitigation of asteroid hazards and an easy exploration and exploitation of the asteroid. This paper discusses the application of the Sun-driven lunar swingby sequence for asteroid missions. Characterizing the capacity of this technique is not only interesting in terms of the dynamic insights but also non-trivial for trajectory design. The capacity of a Sun-driven lunar swingby sequence is elucidated in this paper with the help of the “Swingby-Jacobi” graph. The capacity can be represented by a range of the Jacobi integral that encloses around 660 asteroids currently cataloged. To facilitate trajectory design, a database of Sun-perturbed Moon-to-Moon transfers, including multi-revolution cases, is generated and employed. Massive trajectory options for spacecraft launch and asteroid capture can then be explored and optimized. Finally, a number of asteroid flyby, rendezvous, sample-return, and retrieval mission options enabled by the proposed technique are obtained. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
asteroid mining, graphical methods, gravity assists, Moon-to-Moon transfers, planetary defense, reachable sets
315-334
Chen, Hongru
8286469d-afe1-46e5-b107-694017de4d97
Chen, Hongru
8286469d-afe1-46e5-b107-694017de4d97
Chen, Hongru
(2023)
Capacity of Sun-driven lunar swingby sequences and their application in asteroid retrieval.
Astrodynamics, 7 (3), .
(doi:10.1007/s42064-023-0161-9).
Abstract
For deep-space mission design, the gravity of the Sun and the Moon can be first considered and utilized. Their gravity can provide the energy change for launching spacecraft and retrieving spacecraft as well as asteroids. Regarding an asteroid retrieval mission, it can lead to the mitigation of asteroid hazards and an easy exploration and exploitation of the asteroid. This paper discusses the application of the Sun-driven lunar swingby sequence for asteroid missions. Characterizing the capacity of this technique is not only interesting in terms of the dynamic insights but also non-trivial for trajectory design. The capacity of a Sun-driven lunar swingby sequence is elucidated in this paper with the help of the “Swingby-Jacobi” graph. The capacity can be represented by a range of the Jacobi integral that encloses around 660 asteroids currently cataloged. To facilitate trajectory design, a database of Sun-perturbed Moon-to-Moon transfers, including multi-revolution cases, is generated and employed. Massive trajectory options for spacecraft launch and asteroid capture can then be explored and optimized. Finally, a number of asteroid flyby, rendezvous, sample-return, and retrieval mission options enabled by the proposed technique are obtained. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
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Accepted/In Press date: 21 February 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 April 2023
Keywords:
asteroid mining, graphical methods, gravity assists, Moon-to-Moon transfers, planetary defense, reachable sets
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Local EPrints ID: 490822
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/490822
PURE UUID: 080d4f1b-b8ac-46de-943c-b2e8cd04efc6
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Date deposited: 06 Jun 2024 17:09
Last modified: 07 Jun 2024 02:09
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Author:
Hongru Chen
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