This Short Communication presents a procedure to approximate, in an analytical form, the solution of the optimization problem that gives the minimum-time trajectory of a low-performance solar sail, in a classical circle-to-circle heliocentric transfer. More precisely, the proposed procedure gives an accurate approximation of the solution of the two-point boundary value problem associated to the optimization process, when an indirect approach is exploited to obtain the optimal transfer trajectory and an ideal force model is used to describe the solar sail thrust vector. In particular, the analytical results illustrated in this work extend the model discussed in the recent literature, obtained with an ideal electric thruster, to the case of a flat, perfectly reflecting, solar sail-based scenario.
Fast initialization of the indirect optimization problem in the solar sail circle-to-circle orbit transfer
Alessandro A. Quarta
Primo
Conceptualization
2024-01-01
Abstract
This Short Communication presents a procedure to approximate, in an analytical form, the solution of the optimization problem that gives the minimum-time trajectory of a low-performance solar sail, in a classical circle-to-circle heliocentric transfer. More precisely, the proposed procedure gives an accurate approximation of the solution of the two-point boundary value problem associated to the optimization process, when an indirect approach is exploited to obtain the optimal transfer trajectory and an ideal force model is used to describe the solar sail thrust vector. In particular, the analytical results illustrated in this work extend the model discussed in the recent literature, obtained with an ideal electric thruster, to the case of a flat, perfectly reflecting, solar sail-based scenario.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.