Thesis

On the dynamics, stability and control of displaced lunar orbits

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2011
Thesis identifier
  • T13109
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Abstract
  • Now more than a speculative technology, solar sailing offers new capabilities for the design of space missions. This new concept promises to be useful in overcoming the challenges of transportation throughout the solar system. By exploiting the momentum transported by solar photons, solar sails can perform new high-energy mission concepts, which are essentially impossible for conventional propulsion, without the need for reaction mass. In this thesis, novel families of highly non-Keplerian orbits (NKO) for spacecraft utilising either solar sail or solar electric propulsion (SEP) at linear order are investigated in the Earth-Moon circular restricted three-body problem (CRTBP). In particular, periodic orbits near the libration points in the Earth-Moon system will be explored along with their applications. A hybrid concept for displaced lunar orbits has been developed to overcome the limitations of both solar sailing and SEP. Feedback linearisation is used to perform stabilisation and trajectory tracking for the nonlinear system. In addition to a detailed investigation of the dynamics and control of highly NKO, effort will be devoted to develop a strategy that uses maneuvres executed impulsively at discrete time intervals. Thus, impulse control is investigated as a means of generating displaced orbits and is compared to continuous thrust control. Furthermore, a methodology is developed for computing approximate large displaced orbits in the Earth-Moon CRTBP by the Moon-Sail two-body problem, and their local stability characteristics are investigated. It was found that orbits with a large displacement are unstable, as expected. As will be shown, displaced periodic orbits exist at all libration points at linear order. A particular use of such orbits includes continuous communications between the equatorial regions of the Earth and the lunar poles to support future robotic and human exploration.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2011
Former identifier
  • 967003

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