Analysis of evolution of multi-orbit perturbed trajectories of a spacecraft in a central field of attraction

Abstract

Properties of differential equations of multi-orbit trajectory motion of a spacecraft are investigated analytically. The spacecraft moves under the action of small perturbations (in particular, low thrust) in the plane of a central Newtonian field of attraction. The conditions are specified for existence of a partial singular aperiodic solution, in the neighborhood of which the behavior of osculating elements changes sharply. In this case, phase variables (the angular position of the pericenter and the true anomaly) are found to undergo the sharpest changes. The exact superposition of solutions is suggested for the equations of motion transformed to the form of a quasi-linear, weakly non-stationary system: a partial singular aperiodic solution and fast solutions oscillating around it. Asymptotic representations are obtained for both components of the superposition. They are fairly exact in the region of smallness of perturbing terms at a long variation of the argument.