The Low Thrust Space Vehicle Optimal Guidance during the Earth-Moon System Mission

Stariniva O.L.
The department of Flight vehicles Samara State Aerospace University named after Sergey Korolev Samara, Russian Federation solleo@mail.ru
Abstract In paper it is investigated the control laws optimization and suited low thrust trajectories in the EarthMoon system in limited three-body problem. With Pontryagin principle of maximum necessary conditions of optimum control laws for variable optimal criteria the minimum mission duration and the minimum fuel consumption are found. For variable boundary conditions transversal terms are obtained and appropriate boundary problems are formulated. It is suggested approach of initial approximation choices for boundary tasks. It is given results of numerical modeling. Keywordsmodeling spacecraft, numerical methods, control laws,

Materova I.L.
The department of Flight vehicles Samara State Aerospace University named after Sergey Korolev Samara, Russian Federation mira.mailbox@yandex.ru

B. Achievement of the moon action sphere Within this fraction it is defined optimal steering within circular finite three-body problem framework. The transfer boundary conditions are determined with intermediate orbits parameters and mission goal. The perturbations from the sun gravity are taking into account and disturbances from the Moon gravity non-central field are ignored. C. The formation the Moon centered orbit This fraction absents for transfers into the Earth-Moon system libration points. The perturbation from the Earth and the Sun are taking into account and disturbances from the Moon gravity non-central field are ignored. III. THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF MOVEMENT

I.

INTRODUCTION

The one of possible way of effectiveness space techniques increasing is perspective power plant with high technical performances using for space missions. To this system Electric Jet Power Plant worked on fuel acceleration principle inward electromagnetic fields is refereed. These movers create jet acceleration significantly lower acceleration of gravity on the Earth plate, so they are called Low Trust Power Plant. Calculating low thrust transfer in the Earth-Moon system acceleration congruous to gravitational influence of the Earth and the Moon. In this conditions it is incorrectly considered that optimal guidance doesnt depend on gravitational affects second center of attraction. So in this paper it is solving optimal low thrust transfer in the three-body problem context. II. THE BALLISTIC SCHEME

A. The motion equations Define abbreviations and acronyms the first time they are used in the text, even after they have been defined in the abstract. Abbreviations such as IEEE, SI, MKS, CGS, sc, dc, and rms do not have to be defined. Do not use abbreviations in the title or heads unless they are unavoidable. The barycentered frame (Fig. 1) is used for calculation and optimization of non-complanar motion in tree-body task framework coupling flat polar frame; phase coordinates, outlined orbit plane inclination and longitude of node; and T relative fuel consumption X = ( r , u , Vr , V , , i, m ) . All phase variables are dimensionless. The motion equations have a view: dr d m a 0 , a , = Vr , = a= 0 dt dt c0 (1 m)
cos i sin u du V cos i sin u sin 2 a , = + fn l + fn z + fn dt r sin i V sin i V

The space vehicle (SV) (or spacecraft) transfer in the EarthMoon system would be divided into three fractions: A. Geocentric transfer insert orbit intermediate orbit At this section disturbances from non-central terrestrial gravity, atmosphere, attraction of the Earth and the Moon are taken into account. Steering is calculated with simple analytic dependences obtained for central gravity field and it supplies desired space maneuver.

2 dV r V = + f rz + f rl + f r + cos 2 cos 1 a , r dt

dV dt

VrV r

+ f z + f l + f + cos 2 sin 1 a ,

(1)

978-1-4244-9616-7/11/$26.00 2011 IEEE

879

sin u sin 2 a d sin u , = fn z + fn l + fn + dt sin i V sin i V di cos u = fn z + fn l + fn + dt V

The rz rl are determined so:

r (cos cos u sin cos i sin u ) R z cos rz = r (sin cos u cos cos i sin u ) R z sin , r sin i sin u

cos u sin 2 a V

Here u - argument of latitude; r - radius-vector SV relatively barycenter; Vr , V - constituent of dimensionless speed vector relatively the barycenter; i - SV orbit inclination concerning the Moon orbit; - longitude of SV orbit node relative intermediate Moons orbiting; l 0.0123 Moons mass ratio to total mass of system Earth-Moon; dimensionless engine acceleration; of fuel m PT outcoming;

r (cos cos u sin cos i sin u ) cos rl = r (sin cos u cos cos i sin u ) sin . r sin i sin u

(3)

a0 - nominal
function;

c0 dimensionless speed
on-off fuel consumption;

thrust

m=

m0

relatively

B. Control laws At the first part of flight for spatial maneuver transfer from injection orbit to intermediate one it was exploited control law, such as: the projection of steering acceleration or momentary motion plate coincides with tangential direction and acceleration vector deflects from the momentary motion plate at the angle 2 :

f = f g + f a + f s - summary disturbance acceleration,

defining as vector sum of disturbing acceleration from the Earth oblateness and atmosphere and the Sun gravitational influence; f z and f l - accelerations from the Earth and Moon gravity. For the motion second part in the three-body task framework the projections of f z of coordinates (Fig. 1) is defined as:

1 (t ) =

,
(4)

f l in natural system

1 sin Di rK 2 (t ) = arctg 1 1 1 1 cos Di + c ln(1 m ) 1 2 cos Di + rK rK rK

r (cos cos u sin cos i sin u ) + R cos z 3 r fx z z r (sin cos u cos cos i sin u ) + Rz sin , f z = f y z = (1 l ) 3 rz fz z r sin i sin u 3 r z

, i H , i K - the inclination of insert orbit 2 and intermediate orbit, rK - the intermediate orbit radius. The exploration this control law allows to supply needed orbit inclination with maximum additional cost at the flight. At the second fraction of motion optimal thrust control law is defined according to Pontryagin principle of maximum for two different optimal criterions: the minimum mission duration

Here Di =

(iK iH )

here Rz - Earth state concerning the barycenter; - Moons longitude; rz - dimensionless radius-vector Earth-SV; rl - dimensionless radius-vector Moon-SV.

r (cos cos u sin cos i sin u ) cos 3 r fx l l r (sin cos u cos cos i sin u ) sin f l = f y l = l 3 , rl fz l r sin i sin u 3 r l

(2)

T = T = dt min ,
0

(5)

and minimum fuel consumption at fixed duration:

M = M = dt min .
0

(6)

Formally the optimization problem is determined so: it is

Figure 1. The barycenter system of coordinates. It is using for solving of the second motion part.

880

necessary to find the control function u (t ) = (1 (t ), 2 (t ), (t )) from possible massive U satisfying to boundary conditions X (t0 ) = X 0 , X (T ) = X K taking into account (1), (8) and supplying minimum of optimal criteria (5) or (6) at the fixed vector of designed parameters p = {a0 , c}T :
T

The inserting the broad the phase coordinates vector

z = r, , Vr , V , , i , m, P r, P Vr , P V , P i, P , P , P m

u opt (t ) = arg min M ,

u (t )

(u p, X

, X K = fixe .

allows to come the two-dot boundary solution to the solution of non-linear system: (10) f (z (t 0 )) = 0 , where f (z (t 0 )) - the vector function of residuals at the end moment of time depending on initial phase coordinates volumes and conjugate multipliers at the initial time z (t 0 ) . If the mission goal is the Moon flyby at the needed angle distance with unfixed velocity vector or entry into the Moon sphere action the function of residual has a view:
T (11) f (z (t0 )) = r(T ) 1, (T ) K , P Vr (T ), P V (T ) , = l , i = il

The optimal direction of acceleration vector 1opt (t ), 2 opt (t ) and thrust on-off function maximum conditions
sin 1opt = P V PVr + P V
B A +B
2 2

are solved from Hamiltonians

PVr PVr + PV
2 2

,
2

cos 1opt =

(8)
,

sin 2opt =

cos 2opt =

A A + B2
2

0, 1,

>0

< 0,

, A= P Vr cos 1opt + P V sin 1opt

B = Pu

cos i sin u sin u cos u , + P + Pi sin i V sin i V V

If the initial value of vector is z (t 0 ) , satisfying (11) with the set error, it is certain, that the required task of optimization is decided. The residuals function of the system f ( z (t 0 )) = 0 is very sensible to the initial values of the picked up parameters and have multi-extreme, gullied character. For the determination (10) the modified Newton method was used with the automatic estimation of convergence and change of step of calculation of derivatives and limits on increases. In order to receive decisions with the different values of project parameters and boundary conditions of transfer the continuing on parameters was used the essence of this method is described below. Let the decision of optimization task for some fixed vector of design-ballistic parameters of flight b0 is known, i.e. the value of the extended vector of phase coordinates z (t 0 ) delivering minimum to the criterion of optimality T b0 is known. It is required to find the decision of task in the context, but for other parameters of flight b* . If the statement of the problem is correct, at a small difference b0 from b* , the decision of problem of optimization (10) and criterion of optimality will differ insignificantly. Let break up a segment from b0 to b* on k to parts and will build a sequence

= Pu

cos i sin u sin 2 +P Vr cos 2 cos 1 + sin i V sin u sin 2 + sin i V

+P V cos 2 sin 1 + P

a (1 m) cos u sin 2 + Pi + Pm 0 . V c0 So the problem of optimal consumption solid movement minimization in the Earth-Moon system comes to two-dot sixparameters boundary task with conjugate variables determined in vector form: It is necessary to find such initial values of conjugate variable Pr , Pu , P P Pi , P , Pm , which starting and V , V ,
r

( )

ending conditions are compiled at the optimal trajectory edges X (t 0 ) = X 0 , X (T ) = X T , with (1), optimal steering (14) and conjugate multipliers, defined so:
dPi Pi ( xi ) d xi , x X , P P . i i = dt dt xi

(9)

In the plate motion the movement equations are respectively simplified. Hamiltonian and conjugate equations are congruously simplified. IV. METHOD EXPLOITED IN THE INVESTIGATING

bi = b0 +

b* b0 k ,

(12)

such that bi = b0 at i = 0 and bi = b* at i = k . So the optimization problem at b0 was solved as the initial approximation of new value z0 is known. If to consider that at the insignificant change of vector of design-ballistic parameters of value of vector z change linearly, will obtain initial approximation for new volumes of parameters bi +1

The optimal SV motion modeling is coming to solving of Koshy problem for systems (1), (9) and (8). For numerical solving the Runge-Kutta method of 4 order with constant step was exploited. The largest numerical difficulty the looking optimal steering at the second part causes in limited three-body task framework.

z bi +1 = z bi + Ai bi +1 bi ,

( ) ( )

(13)

881

where Ai the matrix of congruous partial derivative. Equation (13) looks simplier in the case when only one variable changes in a vector bi . Using (12) and (13) as an iterative dependences on which the choosed parameters zi +1 is determined, in fact the Newton method for solving problem of mathematic programming is exploited. At the same time beforehand it is known that initial approximation is enough near to needed solution than supplied good method convergence. V. SOLUTIONS OF MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION

Fig. 3 demonstrates trajectory of transfer from insert orbit to intermediate orbit. All results represented at the fig. 2-3 are obtained for spacecraft with power P = 0.2 N.
B. The optimization of the second part of motion in threebody task framework

Let spacecraft is in the intermediate circular orbit with radius r1 = 90000 km concerning to system barycenter, the angle state at the initial moment u0 , in this case staring dimensionless vector of phase coordinates for the second part of motion is posed for volumes:
r X 0 = 1 , u 0 , Vr 0 = 0, V 0 = Rl Rl , il , l . r1
T

The optimal SV motion modeling is coming to solving of Koshy problem for systems (1), (9) and (8). For numerical solving the Runge-Kutta method of 4 order with constant step was exploited.
A. The motion equations

(14)

If the mission goal is flyby of the Moon at the needed angle distance k = so final phase coordinates vector volumes with unfixed velocity vector VT = VrT , VT so: X T = 1, u k , PV r = 0, PV = 0 ,

are

For modeling vehicle design parameters was selected near to parameter of investigation spacecraft European Space Agency SMART-1: its mass at the insert orbit m0 = 600 , P = 0.1... 0.2 N, = 15 km/. It is supposed that spacecraft is inserted to the circular geocentric orbit with altitude H=830 km and inclination i 0 =64.9 by rocket Soyus-2. The first part of motion goal is to accomplish noncomplanar transfer from insert orbit to intermediate orbit. The intermediate radius r1 = 90000 km was selected from condition of the Moon gravity significant influence. For so high orbit effect from non-central the terrestrial gravity field and atmosphere are unsubstantional and varying of orbit plate during the second fraction of movement will practically nonoccur. So it is demanded the intermediate orbit plate has to coincide with the Moon orbit plate (inclination i1 = il , node = l ). For modeling of this transfer part (1) and (4) were exploited. Figure 2 shows law of control angle varying 2 (t ) (note, that 1 = 90 deg). At the initial stage of motion at the moderate orbit radius current volume r (t ) , when orbit inclination varying is ineffective, 2 0 . Increasing the orbit inclination r (t ) 2 is decreasing and is aspiring to

il , l

).
T

(15)

If optimal minimum mission duration (5) is used as optimal criteria (the mover works without switching) at the ending moment of time Pm (T ) = 0 . For optimal criteria he minimum fuel consumption (6) at the final moment of time Pm (T ) = 1 . As initial approximation for solving the solution of task about reaching of circular orbit with radius equal the Moon intermediate radius, described in [1]. Exploiting the method of continuing on parameter allows to solve optimization problem for very boundary condition and design parameters spacecraft. At the fig. 4 and 5 solutions of optimization with criteria (5) and P = 0.1 N are represented. The fig. 5 shows obtained optimal control law for angle 1 (t ) , the fig. 5 corresponding motion trajectory. Solid line realizes the burn motion, dotted line trajectory of spacecraft passive movement. After the lunar achievement the modelling of passive the Moon-centre motion was completed to confirm the Moon gravitational sphere entry and staying within it. These sections of trajectory are also shown with dotted lines. The designballistic parameters of this motion part are represented in the

Figure 2. Steering

2 (t ) for transfer from insert orbit to intermediate orbit.

Figure 3. Non-complanar maneuver of transfer from insert orbit to intermediate orbit.

882

Figure 4. Optimal mission duration steering at the second part of flight, P=0.1 N.

Figure 5. The optimal mission time trajectory of transfer second part, appropriate to fig. 4.

Figure 6. The optimal fuel consumption steering at the second part of motion, P=0.1 N, T=45 days.

Figure 7. The optimal fuel consumption trajectory of transfer second part, appropriate to fig. 6.

Figure 8. The optimal fuel consumption steering at the second part of motion, P=0.1 N, T=60 days.

Figure 9. Corresponding optimal fuel consumption trajectory at the second part of motion with the Moon-centre orbit forming part.

883

TABLE I.
Name manoeuvre

THE PROJECT-BALLISTIC PARAMETERS OF MISSIONS TO NEAR-CIRCLE THE MOON-CENTRE ORBIT

Trust, N Optimal criteria Part of transfer Time duration of transfer, day Fuel consumption, kg

Transfer injection orbit the Moon centre one

0,1

T min

Transfer from injection orbit to intermediate one (fig. 2, 3) Maneuver of the Moon flyby at the needed angle 5 (fig. 4, 5) The forming of the lunar-centric orbit Transfer from injection orbit to intermediate one (fig. 2, 3) Maneuver of the Moon flyby at angular distance 5 (fig. 6, 7) The forming of the lunar-centric orbit Transfer from injection orbit to intermediate one (fig. 2, 3) Maneuver of the Moon flyby at angular distance 5 (fig. 6, 7) The forming of the lunar-centric orbit

267.7 39.3 24.8 267.7 45.0 19.5 267.7 60.0 24.8

105.0 22.6 35.7 105.0 22.8 44.1 105.0 19.3 35.7

Transfer injection orbit the Moon centre one

0,1

m min T2 =45 day

Transfer injection orbit the Moon centre one

0,1

m min T2 =60 day

thirst line of table I. Fig. 6 and 7 show optimization solutions with criteria (6), the time duration of the second motion part T2 = 45 days P = 0.1 N. At the fig.6 obtained optimal steering 1 (t ) is demonstrated, at the fig. 7 congruous transfer trajectory. Design-ballistic parameters of this motion part are represented in the second line of table I. The fig. 8 and 9 realize the optimization solutions of criteria (6), the time durations of second motion part. T2 = 60 days P = 0.1 N. At the fig. 8 the optimal control law is shown, fig. 9 demonstrates corresponding optimal trajectory of spacecraft concerning to barycenter. Design-ballistic parameters of this motion part are represented in the third line of table I. Result of modeling is shown that increasing of the mission second fraction time comes to increasing of passive parts duration and fuel consumption reducing. At the same time optimal steering feature is saved. At first steering directs to the orbit apocenter increasing then passive parts are reduced and at the last coil trust directs to reaching the Moon. VI. CONCLUSIONS

results from [2, 3] exploiting another methods. The optimal minimum mission time results are good accord with results [2, 3]. However described methodology allows to determine automatically the trust-on and thrust-off trajectory parts. Clearly, that increasing the needed transfer duration the fuel consumption is reducing and for ballistic design of flight it is necessary to balance between fuel consumption and mission duration. So the applied methodology demonstration its effectiveness for optimization of complex multiple-turn SV trajectory with law thrust engines within three bodies gravity field. Findings may be used to solve problems of assigned Moon-center orbit formation and to calculate the needed design-ballistic parameters. REFERENCES
[1] [2] Starinova . The optimization of SV with low thrust engines travel in the Earth-Moon system. // The bulletin of SSC RAS 3, 2005 9 . M.S. Konstantinov, G.G. Fedotov, V.G. Petukhov, et al. Electric propulsion mission to GEO using Soyuz/Fregat launch vehicle. 52nd International Astronautical Congress. IAF-01-V.3.02, Toulouse, France, October 1-5, 2001. John T. Betts, Sven O. Erb Optimal Low Thrust Trajectories to the Moon SIAM J. APPLIED DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 144170

[3]

The using of Pontryagin principle of maximum in the three-body task framework allows to obtain optimal steering and congruous motion trajectories for spacecraft with vary design parameters volume. We compare obtained results with

884