Title :
A novel low-thrust trajectory optimization approach based on virtual gravitational body
Author :
Jiang Xiao-yong ; Zhang Hong-bo ; Tang Guo-jian
Author_Institution :
Coll. of Aerosp. Sci. & Eng., Nat. Univ. of Defense Technol., Changsha, China
Abstract :
A novel approach based on virtual gravitational body (VGB) is proposed for low-thrust trajectory optimization in this paper. To represent the low-thrust trajectory in an analytical form, a VGB, whose gravity on the spacecraft is equivalent to the resultant of the Sun gravity and the low-thrust, is introduced. Firstly, it is assumed that the VGB stays stationary in each trajectory segment to recover the low-thrust. Secondly, to satisfy the low-thrust magnitude constraint, the VGB is further assumed to follow a uniform rectilinear motion in each segment. It can be proved that, in both cases, the low-thrust trajectory is still a conic arc when expressed in a translational reference frame centered at the VGB. Finally, the original optimal control problem is converted into a nonlinear programming problem, which could be solved very fast owing to the analytical nature of conic arcs. Compared with a spherical shaping approach, numerical results of the Earth to asteroid 1989ML rendezvous mission demonstrate the availability and high efficiency of this VGB based approach.
Keywords :
aircraft control; motion control; nonlinear programming; optimal control; space vehicles; trajectory optimisation (aerospace); Earth; Sun gravity; VGB; asteroid 1989ML rendezvous mission; conic arcs; low-thrust magnitude constraint; low-thrust trajectory optimization approach; nonlinear programming problem; optimal control problem; spacecraft; translational reference frame; uniform rectilinear motion; virtual gravitational body; Gravity; Optimization; Space vehicles; Sun; Trajectory; Vectors; Vehicle dynamics; low-thrust; nonlinear programming; optimal control; trajectory optimization;
Conference_Titel :
Chinese Automation Congress (CAC), 2013
Conference_Location :
Changsha
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-0332-0
DOI :
10.1109/CAC.2013.6775746