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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Development and Optimization of Low Energy Orbits for Advancing Exploration of the Solar System

Kidd, John Nocon January 2015 (has links)
The architecture of a system which enables the cost-effective exploration of the solar system is proposed. Such a system will make use of the benefits of the natural dynamics represented in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CRTBP). Additionally, a case study of the first missions which apply the lessons from the CRTBP is examined. The guiding principle of the proposed system is to apply lessons learned from both the Apollo project for deep space exploration and the International Space Station for long term habitation in space as well as modular space vehicle design. From this preliminary system design, a number of missions are outlined. These missions form the basis of an evolvable roadmap to fully develop the infrastructure required for long-term sustained manned exploration of the solar system. This roadmap provides a clear and concise pathway from current exploration capabilities to the current long-term goal of sustained manned exploration of Mars. The primary method employed in designing the staging orbits is the "Single Lunar Swingby", each of the component segment trajectory design processes is explored in detail. Additionally, the method of combining each of these segments together in a larger End-to-End optimizer environment within the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) is introduced, called the Multiple Shooting Method. In particular, a specific Baseline Parking Orbit, or BPO, is chosen and analyzed. This BPO serves as the parking home orbit of any assets not currently in use. A BPO of amplitude (14000, 28000, 6000) kilometers. The BPO has full coverage to both the Earth and the Moon and orbit station-keeping may be conducted at a cost of less than 1 m/s over a 14 year period. This provides a cost-effective platform from which more advanced exploration activities can be based, both robotic and manned. One of the key advanced exploration activities considered is manned exploration of Mars, one of the current long-term goals of NASA. Trajectories from the BPO to Mars and back to Earth are explored and show approximately 50% decrease in required ΔV provided by the spacecraft.

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