Mechanics of Trajectory Optimization Using Nonsingular Variational Equations in Polar Coordinates

Abstract

Thecompletesetofthestateand adjoint differentialequationsforthenonsingularequinoctialorbitelementsexpressed in polar coordinatesand written in terms of the truelongitudeispresented. Previous formulations adopted the equinoctial frame as the orbital frame for component resolution of the various perturbation accelerations. The consideration of the position dependency of the J2 acceleration in the context of precision integrated orbital transfer trajectories led us to adopt the more convenient polar frame coupled with the use of the true longitude as the accessory variable needed in the description of the variational equations, inasmuch as it is more dife cult to generate the contribution of the J2 perturbation to the adjoint equations if the variational equations are left in terms of the eccentric longitude. I. Introduction T HEconsideration of thenonsingularequinoctialorbitelements has been of great benee t in trajectory propagation and optimization.References1 ‐7 madeuseofthecorresponding variational equations resolved in the equinoctial orbital coordinate system. In Refs. 8‐12, modern numerical methods based on the techniques of collocation and nonlinear programming are applied to the solutionoflow-thrustEarth-boundandinterplanetarytrajectories.These direct methods have introduced robustness characteristics to the optimization process and were e rst used with great success by launch vehicle trajectory optimization and performance analysts. In particular, Betts 9,10 uses a variety of equinoctial element sets within the framework of the direct method. Following the more traditional approach based on the calculus of variations and the indirect shooting method,thispaper developsthe differentialequationsforthe adjoint or multiplier variables to be numerically integrated simultaneously withthestatedifferentialequationstosolvethetwo-point-boundaryvalue orbit transfer problem. As noted by Betts, the elements of the matrix of partial derivatives of the Hamiltonian with respect to the equinoctial elements derived here in analytic form can be used to developacertainanalyticJacobianmatrixinconnectionwithnonlinear programming (NLP) solvers used with direct methods, thereby saving considerable computation time with respect to the adoption ofa numerically determined Jacobian. The variational equations are usually expressed in terms of the eccentric longitude, which can either be left as an accessory variable or be adopted as the fastor sixth orbital element. In Ref. 3, the averaged J2 perturbation effect was accounted for in the design of the optimal transfer trajectory. However, when the exact or rather position-dependent J2 effect must be considered in the context of precision integrated transfer solutions, the J2 perturbation acceleration components become dependent on the eccentric longitude. Because these components are given in the rotating Euler‐Hill or polar frame, it is much simpler to use this frame as the orbital frame instead of the equinoctial framebecause otherwise the transformed expressions for these components become more complicated. These expressions are still quite complicated if expressed in terms of the eccentric longitude even if the polar frame is used. This is important because we must take the partial derivatives of these expressions with respect to the elements to generate the adjoint differential equations. This task is made easier by expressing the variational equations for the J2 perturbation in terms of the true