Many-Revolution Low-Thrust Transfers within Periodic Orbit Families

Abstract

This paper explores the use of a reduced manifold space initialization method for the generation of both time and fuel optimal many-revolution, low-thrust transfers between three-body periodic orbits within a family. Libration point orbit families are approximated by multi-segment Chebyshev polynomials and 1-dimensional Fourier series. Control is mapped into the family space, and a 1-dimensional targeting scheme in the family space dynamics is used to generate an initial guess for the phase space, directly accounting for winding. An integral collocation-based direct method is then used to first continue a feasible trajectory into the phase space, and then optimize for a particular cost function. The methodology is first applied to the distant retrograde orbit family. Modifications for time-regularized dynamics are then discussed, with an ensuing example of many-revolution transfers in the $L_2$ halo family.