Method for Rapid Interplanetary Trajectory Analysis using ΔV Maps with Flyby Options
This paper develops a convenient tool which is capable of calculating ballistic interplanetary trajectories with planetary flyby options to create exhaustive V contour plots for both direct trajectories without flybys and flyby trajectories in a single chart. The contours of V for a range of departu...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
British Interplanetary Society
2015
|
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99890 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6677-383X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7543-6920 |
| Summary: | This paper develops a convenient tool which is capable of calculating ballistic interplanetary trajectories with planetary flyby options to create exhaustive V contour plots for both direct trajectories without flybys and flyby trajectories in a single chart. The contours of V for a range of departure dates (x-axis) and times of flight (y-axis) serve as a “visual calendar” of launch windows, which are useful for the creation of a long-term transportation schedule for mission planning purposes. For planetary flybys, a simple powered flyby manoeuvre with a reasonably small velocity impulse at periapsis is allowed to expand the flyby mission windows. The procedure of creating a V contour plot for direct trajectories is a straightforward full- factorial computation with two input variables of departure and arrival dates solving Lambert's problem for each combination. For flyby trajectories, a “pseudo full-factorial” computation is conducted by decomposing the problem into two separate full- factorial computations. Mars missions including Venus flyby opportunities are used to illustrate the application of this model for the 2020-2040 time frame. The “competitiveness” of launch windows is defined and determined for each launch opportunity. |
|---|