Automated global optimization of low-energy trajectories using a hybrid optimal control framework
type: CreativeWork
description: Leveraging dynamical structures found in the three-body problem provides opportunities to explore transfers that utilize considerably less fuel, thus gaining the moniker of low-energy transfers. Typically, these transfers are constructed by analyzing intersections of these dynamical structures at certain planes of interest in the form of Poincaré surfaces of section. Initial guesses gained from these maps are then used in differential correctors to obtain feasible solutions, or transcribed as non-linear problems and solved using an NLP solver to obtain locally optimal solutions at best. This process is time consuming and requires human input for seeding initial guesses. It also does not guarantee convergence or the existence of feasible or locally optimal solutions; and if successful, it generates a single trajectory of interest. A change in initial conditions or spacecraft parameters would require repeating the entire process. Multi-phase trajectories are defined for this study as trajectories that have multiple arcs that require propulsive maneuvers to complete. As this study analyzes low-energy transfers, each of these phases incorporates the use of dynamical structures to some extent. Solving these multi-phase transfers using the same methodology described requires linking and analyzing multiple chains of Poincaré surfaces and using intuition to search the space to find a good initial guess. This becomes increasingly taxing and challenging for a mission design engineer to process and keep track of the best solutions with such a large problem space, and constantly evolving mission parameters. To add to the onus, the combinatorial space also expands dramatically as different kinds of dynamical structures are incorporated, such as patch three-body systems, resonances, and perturbed variants. The study conducted in this thesis aims to present a framework that enables automated generation of trajectories utilizing low-energy transfers for multi-body regimes. The goal…
abstract: Leveraging dynamical structures found in the three-body problem provides opportunities to explore transfers that utilize considerably less fuel, thus gaining the moniker of low-energy transfers. Typically, these transfers are constructed by analyzing intersections of these dynamical structures at certain planes of interest in the form of Poincaré surfaces of section. Initial guesses gained from these maps are then used in differential correctors to obtain feasible solutions, or transcribed as non-linear problems and solved using an NLP solver to obtain locally optimal solutions at best. This process is time consuming and requires human input for seeding initial guesses. It also does not guarantee convergence or the existence of feasible or locally optimal solutions; and if successful, it generates a single trajectory of interest. A change in initial conditions or spacecraft parameters would require repeating the entire process. Multi-phase trajectories are defined for this study as trajectories that have multiple arcs that require propulsive maneuvers to complete. As this study analyzes low-energy transfers, each of these phases incorporates the use of dynamical structures to some extent. Solving these multi-phase transfers using the same methodology described requires linking and analyzing multiple chains of Poincaré surfaces and using intuition to search the space to find a good initial guess. This becomes increasingly taxing and challenging for a mission design engineer to process and keep track of the best solutions with such a large problem space, and constantly evolving mission parameters. To add to the onus, the combinatorial space also expands dramatically as different kinds of dynamical structures are incorporated, such as patch three-body systems, resonances, and perturbed variants. The study conducted in this thesis aims to present a framework that enables automated generation of trajectories utilizing low-energy transfers for multi-body regimes. The goal…
author: Shah, Vishwa Jayesh
language: en
keywords: Aerospace, Spacecraft trajectory optimization, Low-energy mission design
date published: 2017-08-10T19:15:23Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:34Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97392