Optimum low-thrust manoeuvers in a noncentral gravity field

Resumo

A complete first order analytical solution is developed for the problem of optimal low-thrust limited power transfers between neighbouring quasi-circular orbits in a noncentral gravity field generated by an ellipsoid. The optimization problem is formulated as a Mayer problem of optimal control with cartesian elements as state variables. After applying the Pontryagin Maximum Principle and determining the optimal thrust acceleration, successive canonical transformations are performed: the cartesian elements are changed by suitable orbital elements. Hori's method is applied in solving the new canonical systems which govern the optimal trajectories.