Low-thrust transfer to Backflip orbits Original Research Article

The aim of the work is to design a low-thrust transfer from a Low Earth Orbit to a “useful” periodic orbit in the Earth–Moon Circular Restricted Three Body Model (CR3BP). A useful periodic orbit is here intended as one that moves both in the Earth–Moon plane and out of this plane without any requirements of propellant mass. This is achieved by exploiting a particular class of periodic orbits named Backflip orbits, enabled by the CR3BP. The unique characteristics of this class of periodic solutions allow the design of an almost planar transfer from a geocentric orbit and the use of the Backflip intrinsic characteristics to explore the geospace out of the Earth–Moon plane. The main advantage of this approach is that periodic plane changes can be obtained by performing an almost planar transfer. In order to save propellant mass, so as to increase the scientific payload of the mission, a low-powered transfer is considered. This foresees a thrusting phase to gain energy from a departing circular geocentric orbit and a second thrusting phase to match the state of the target Backflip orbit, separated by an intermediate ballistic phase. This results in a combined application of a low-thrust manoeuvre and of a periodical solution in the CR3BP to realize a new class of missions to explore the Earth–Moon neighbourhoods in a quite inexpensive way. In addition, a low-thrust transit between two different Backflip orbits is analyzed and considered as a possible extension of the proposed mission. Thus, also a Backflip-to-Backflip transfer is addressed where a low-powered probe is able to experience periodic excursions above and below the Earth–Moon plane only performing almost planar and very short transfers.