STRATEGIES FOR ON-ORBIT RENDEZVOUS CIRCLING MARS

摘要

This paper deals with investigations on fuel-optimal strategies for rendezvous in space. Standard rendezvous consider near-circular and near-coplanar orbit, software has been developped to solve this problem. A simple method is presented that extend analysis to non-coplanar orbits. This method has been used to analyse the problem of the double rendezvous previously envisaged for Mars Sample Return Mission. This simplified approximation can be used as a first guess to find real solutions. Results are presented that improve previous publication. Combining in-plane and out-of-plane components of maneuvers could save fuel expenditure. Preliminary results are presented as well.