On the use of a continuous thrust to find bounded planar trajectories at given altitudes in Low Earth Orbits

Allan Kardec De Almeida,Jhonathan Orlando Murcia Piñeros,Antonio Fernando Bertachini De Alme Prado

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65594-w

Allan Kardec De Almeida, Jhonathan Orlando Murcia Piñeros + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65594-w

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Abstract

In this work, it is shown how a spacecraft equipped with a thrust and subjected to a drag force can be bounded at specific altitudes as function of the parameters of the thrust. It is used nonlinear dynamics tools to find attractors, which bound the motion of the spacecraft. For a specific set of parameters of the thrust, the spacecraft is bounded to a given altitude. Several forms for the thrusts are proposed in order to bound the altitude of the spacecraft. The influence of several forms of perturbations in the altitude of the spacecraft is also investigated in this work, like the solar radiation pressure, gravity of the Moon and oblateness of the Earth. Finally, nonlinear dynamics tools are also used to investigate transfers among the bounded orbits in different altitudes.

Highlights

The number of satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs) is increasing due to the development of Small Sats missions
Other perturbative forces influences the motion at LEOs, like the ones that come from the solar radiation pressure, the oblateness of the Earth and the gravitational attraction of the Moon
The last important result is that, for all perturbed cases studied in this work, the spacecraft always evolved to periodic attractors with period one in their respective frame of reference

Summary

Introduction

The number of satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs) is increasing due to the development of Small Sats missions. Other perturbative forces influences the motion at LEOs, like the ones that come from the solar radiation pressure, the oblateness of the Earth and the gravitational attraction of the Moon. Perturbative forces will be included, which represent the effects due to the solar radiation pressure over the satellite, the J2 potential term due to the oblateness of the Earth and the perturbation due to the gravitational interaction with the Moon. The effects of these additional perturbations over the attractors are investigated through their dependence on the values of the parameters of the perturbed system

Objectives

Conclusion