NAVIGATION ANALYSIS OF THE TRAJECTORY CORRECTION MANEUVERS ON APPROACH TO THE PLUTO ENCOUNTER FOR THE NEW HORIZONS MISSION, USING LORRI ONLY

摘要

Navigation studies of the required statistical maneuvers in the Pluto approach phase of the New Horizons mission have been performed. Analysis of the spacecraft position knowledge and control errors, with varying number and placement of the final maneuvers from 100 to 10 days prior to Pluto closest approach, were simulated. The effect of varying the orbit determination data cutoff prior to the maneuver design, an important operational consideration, was characterized. A Monte Carlo analysis was performed based on orbit determination knowledge errors, based largely on images obtained from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), and required maneuver execution errors to investigate uncertainties in the control to the Pluto B-plane target, as well as the delta-v expended. A comparison of knowledge and control requirements is made, and an optimal maneuver strategy is determined.