Targeting low-energy transfers to low lunar orbit

Abstract

A targeting scheme is presented to build 21-day launch periods for low-energy trajectories from any specified Earth parking orbit to any specified low lunar orbit, using up to two mid-course maneuvers. A total of 288 launch periods are constructed for transfers to a variety of different targeted low lunar orbits, arriving at different times during the month. Each orbital insertion occurs at an altitude of 100km above the lunar surface and each orbit sampled in this paper is polar; the longitude of ascending node and the argument of periapse vary for each sampled orbit. An analysis is presented to characterize the total transfer ΔV required to build a launch period, as well as the total transfer ΔV required to transfer from any given Earth parking orbit inclination to each sampled lunar orbit.