Uncontrolled Motion for Asteroid Missions: An Application to the Binary Asteroid 1999 KW4

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...

Characterisation of Shape-Based Methods and Combination with Coasting Arcs

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...

Faster Low-Thrust Trajectory Design Through Finite Fourier Series: The effects of a new initialisation strategy

Low-thrust propulsion has gained more popularity over the past few decades because of its high efficiency. Interplanetary transfer trajectories in particular benefit from low-thrust propulsion, considering the typically high Delta V to be achieved. In order to allow a fast design of such missions, first-order, efficient representations of...

Optimization of semi-controlled low-thrust de-orbit strategies to reduce human casualty risk

Currently, an increasing amount of debris is floating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) endangering space operations. To limit the contribution of non-operational satellites to the space debris problem a semi-controlled end-of-life de-orbit strategy can be employed. In this strategy the satellite is controlled from the end-of-life orbit down to low...

Development of a Low-Thrust Earth-Centered Transfer Optimizer for the Preliminary Mission Design Phase

Develop the basis for a TU Delft Astrodynamics Toolbox (Tudat)-based software tool that comprises the fundamental functionalities required in order to optimize low-thrust Earth-centered orbit transfer trajectories for the preliminary mission design phase. Motivation: contribution to Tudat and facilitate case studies for the MicroThrust consortium.

Design of a Combinatorial Tool for Preliminary Space Mission Analysis, applied to the GTOC2 Problem

In recent years, space missions to asteroids have been a focus of research. This type of mission has introduced a new challenge in space mission analysis: target selection. Indeed, given the large number of small Solar System bodies and their various orbital and physical characteristics, selecting a specific target is a rather complex task. This...

Filtering techniques for orbital debris conjunction analysis

The steadily growing amount of orbital debris increases the probability and amount of collisions between two objects in orbit about the Earth. These collisions in turn create even more debris, and it is therefore important to keep track of future conjunctions. The U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) uses ground- and space-based sensors to...