HYPERBOLIC RENDEZVOUS FOR EARTH-MARS CYCLER MISSIONS

摘要

Continued interest in human missions to Mars has led to the concept of cycler trajectories which travel freely between Earth and Mars and provide living quarters for the 6 month trip between the two planets. This necessitates transfers from a station in Earth or Mars orbit to the cycler vehicle as it flies by the respective planet. The cycler fiyby is hyperbolic and is completely constrained in periapse date, distance, and inclination, since it must continue to travel on its cycler path between the planets. The problems addressed here are (1) what is the minimum velocity requirement to transfer from a fixed orbit to a fixed hyperbola in a limited transfer time, (2) how do these results compare depending on the initial departure orbit (Earth or Mars), and (3) which departure orbit would provide the greatest flexibility for planetary operations.. Because of a transfer time constraint, say 5 or 10 days, it is assumed that the transfer will have to be as direct as possible, so that motion takes place only in the planetary vicinity including its satellites. This implies that solar perturbations may be neglected, and that conic motion may be assumed for initial studies.