AAS 96-200

POWER-LIMITED TRANSFERS BETWEEN TWO COPLANAR CONICS UNDER CONTINUOUS KEPLERIAN THRUST

N. Markopoulos, Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract

Within the limits of the classical two-body, inverse-square gravity model, the Keplerian class of thrust programs is used toward an analytical treatment of the problem of transferring a spacecraft between two coplanar conics. The power-limited near-optimality of the Keplerian class was argued upon previously. Continuing that development, the guidance aspects of the problem are studied and the existence of analytical open and closed-loop solutions is demonstrated. By comparing the costs for several examples of transfers with the corresponding optimal costs, a preliminary attempt is also made toward a direct check of the near-optimality of such solutions.