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Carceller Suarez, Patricia (author)Space debris fragments smaller than 10 cm cannot be tracked from Earth and are generally neglected in conjunction and risk analyses because of this. However, these fragments pose a great threat, as they can lead to collisions. Currently, the threat that space debris poses on the space environment is getting larger, so methods to mitigate said...master thesis 2023
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De hulsters, Kevin (author)The Kuiper belt is one of the last mostly unexplored regions in the Solar System. Exploration of the Kuiper belt can greatly increase humanity's understanding of the Solar System's formation and evolution. The use of low-thrust propulsion for Kuiper belt missions has the potential to improve the payload mass of the mission due to the high...master thesis 2023
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Stasevičius, Simonas (author)Central configurations provide the only closed-form analytical solutions of the n-body problem. All possible central configurations of three bodies have been extensively studied along with the stability of the associated periodic orbits. Stable cases have been found for the Lagrangian triangle configuration, which we see occurring with the...master thesis 2022
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Achterberg, Jari (author)The number of objects in space is increasing over time, and therefore it is desired to find more efficient propagation models in terms of accuracy and computational speed. This thesis project focuses on the propagation of the state and uncertainties of Potential Hazardous Asteroids, to predict potential Earth impacts. A machine learning...master thesis 2022
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Almeida Pignatelli de Avillez, Miguel (author)Quasi-satellite orbits (QSOs) are orbits around the smaller primary in three-body systems. The MMX mission (developed by JAXA, to be launched in 2024) will use QSOs to orbit Phobos, before landing on its surface. This work studies the feasibility of using the invariant manifolds of three-dimensional QSOs for designing landing trajectories, using...master thesis 2022
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Stahl, Dominik (author)Distant Retrograde Orbits (DROs) are special orbits for third bodies in two-body systems. The third body revolves around the secondary – the smaller of the two primaries – in a retrograde way, meaning the direction is opposite to the direction that the primaries revolve around each other. DROs are not close to either of the primaries, making it...master thesis 2022
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Klavers, Robert (author)With the increase in the use of Solar Electric Propulsion for Earth-centered applications, comes an additional challenge in the field of low-thrust spacecraft trajectory optimization. This MSc project implements a hybrid optimization approach, using control parametrization to reduce the number of optimization parameters and orbital averaging to...master thesis 2021
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Torrente, Paul (author)This thesis focused on the relevance and feasibility of an uncontrolled cubesat mission in a binary asteroid environment, highlighting the example of the representative Near-Earth Asteroid 1999 KW4, modelled using the TU Delft Astrodynamics Tool (TUDAT). A clear distinction was made between orbits of the cubesat starting in the interior and the...master thesis 2021
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Paricio Ezquerra, Daniel (author)Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) have attracted the attention of the scientific community in the last few years. Not only because of their importance to life on Earth but also their scientific potential and possible economic returns. This work explores the use of quasi-periodic orbits to bound the motion of NEAs close to the Earth’s vicinity for...master thesis 2021
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Turnock, Matthew (author)With current technology, it has been found that the feasibility of long-term adaptable exploration missions at the far reaches of the Solar System and beyond is limited, due to shortcomings in conventional propulsion systems. Electrodynamic tether (EDT) propulsion methods may provide a viable alternative, utilising either the interplanetary...master thesis 2021
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Diercks, Ties (author)Optimising spacecraft reorientation manoeuvres with respect to time, energy and propellant is essential for achieving a high mission performance. Solving this reorientation problem in real time and onboard is considered to be a promising opportunity to achieve further efficiency improvements in space missions. However, the nonlinear programming ...master thesis 2021
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Tatay Sanguesa, Jose (author)The aim of this investigation is to improve the first stage of mission analysis on trajectories in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP). This will be achieved by developing a versatile tool that can optimize any transfer in the CR3BP in terms of ΔV and time of flight. Hence, the output will not be<br/>a single solution, but a...master thesis 2021
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Carbonell Varea, Marc (author)The proposed method in this study pretends to improve the mission analysis procedure by generating a tool that allows to rapidly compute the main parameters and characteristics of a SEP transfer towards an arbitrary PHO, avoiding the application of complex numerical methods in the preliminary phases of the mission design process to improve its...master thesis 2021
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Schild, Maarten (author)Due to ever increasing accessibility, recent years have seen a fast growing number of launches to space, especially to Sun-synchronous orbit. The spent rocket parts, payload fairings and eventually non-functioning payloads of these launches remain in orbit. It is well-established that this accumulation of space debris over time is quickly making...master thesis 2021
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Vanwesenbeeck, Jorn (author)In 1995 the Galileo spacecraft arrived at the Jovian system and performed a first flyby with Io to decrease the required $\Delta V$ for orbit insertion. This technique is generally known as "satellite-aided planetary capture". The thesis research combines low-radiation satellite-aided capture trajectories with low-thrust propulsion and sees what...master thesis 2021
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Jordanov, Viktor (author)The idea of capturing an asteroid has gained more and more attention in recent years, sparked by rapid technological development and the growing general interest into the subject, both by scientists and commercial parties. The focus of this thesis project lies on transferring a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) from its original orbit to a safe, stable...master thesis 2020
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Pieters, Liam (author)Space debris objects with sizes between 1 and 10 cm form the greatest risks for creating new collisions with active spacecraft as they are too small to track and too large to be shielded against. This research has simulated the performance of a space-based laser system on the removal of these small-scale debris objects. The selected system is...master thesis 2020
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Pascarella, Alex (author)In this research project, the design of a smallsat mission to a Halo orbit around the Earth-Moon second libration point (EML-2) using a rideshare launch opportunity to an inclined geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) was investigated. <br/>The design leverages classical results from Dynamical Systems Theory (DST) to determine low-energy transfers...master thesis 2020
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Wolfhagen, Jasper (author)The next decade will see an unprecedented growth in space activity and usher in a new era in space. Together commercial parties, the so-called NewSpace operators, have announced large constellations that will increase the number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit from almost 2,000 satellites to 20,000. Simultaneously, enhanced space object...master thesis 2020
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Moreno Gonzalez, Andres (author)Low-thrust propulsion's main advantage is its efficient propellant usage. This holds for manoeuvres as well as for major orbital changes, both for LEO/MEO/GEO satellites and for interplanetary missions. In designing such missions, extensive numerical models as well as less demanding analytic first-order approximations can be used. A specific...master thesis 2020