A station-keeping strategy for collinear libration point orbits

Abstract

Spacecrafts in periodic or quasi-periodic orbits near the collinear libration points are proved to be excellent platforms for scientific investigations of various phenomena. Since such periodic or quasi-periodic orbits are exponentially unstable, the station-keeping maneuver is needed. A station-keeping strategy which is found by an analytical method is presented to eradicate the dominant unstable component of the libration point trajectories. The inhibit force transforms the unstable component to a stable component. In this method, it is not necessary to determine a nominal orbit as a reference path.