Operations-driven low-thrust trajectory optimization with applications to destiny<sup>+</sup>

Conference paper (2020)

Authors

Diogene A. Dei Tos Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)/JAXA
Takayuki Yamamoto Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)/JAXA
Naoya Ozaki Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)/JAXA
Yu Tanaka Waseda University
Ferran Gonzalez-Franquesa Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Nishanth Pushparaj Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
O. Çelik Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Takeshi Takashima Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)/JAXA
Kazutaka Nishiyama Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)/JAXA
Yasuhiro Kawakatsu Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)/JAXA
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Published Date

2020

Language

English

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Abstract

Solar electric propulsion is a key enabling technology that has improved the efficiency of space transport. With specific impulses that are typically ten times higher than the chemical counterpart, electric motors allow a considerable saving in propellant mass at the expense of longer times of flight. However, the length of the transfer process and the specific operational needs require to develop a different operational concept for the navigation and orbit control that can be sustained during the different phases of the mission. In this paper, a trade-off is performed among several operational concepts and solutions for multi-revolutions SEP transfers with application to the DESTINY+ mission. The GTO-to-Moon low-thrust transfer is first computed in a high-fidelity model with a tangential thrust strategy and later optimized with a five-order Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto collocation method. The impact of eclipses, radiation, thrust outages and misfires, and orbit tracking is analyzed in detailed and included in the transcript optimal problem as algebraic constraints where possible. Numerical results show that the driving factors for the optimal trajectory are related to the operations of the spacecraft rather than the final mass or time of flight.