The use of solar electric propulsion (SEP) to improve a spacecraft mission performance is becoming common place. recent human Mars architecture studies have shown that a high efficiency, reusable, non-nuclear Earth departure system is possible though the combined use of solar electric and chemical propulsion. To make this concept viable the SEP vehicle must transfer systems from low earth orbit (LEO) to a high-energy elliptical parking orbit (HEEPO). A four phased analytic control law has been developed to perform a LEO-to-HEEPO transfer. Each steering phase performs a specific task required for transfer from LEO-to-HEEPO. LEO-to-HEEPO transfer performance is reported and compared.
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