Orbital Targeting Based on Hodograph Theory for Improved Rendezvous Safety

摘要

A versatile orbital targeting technique has been developed for improved rendezvous safety. The often-overlookednvelocity hodograph is reintroduced and the relevant theory for orbital targeting is presented, including a novelnmethod for computing time of flight. Hodograph principles are applied to the development of a numerical targetingntechnique that controls the transfer orbit flight-path angle such that the transfer orbit is tangent to the target orbit atnthe target point. Tangent orbits are shown to have a single common point and therefore significantly reduce collisionnhazard during rendezvous free drift. The targeting technique, called , does not require iteration, isnsingularity-free for 180u0001ntransfers, works for all conic orbits, and is not restricted to coplanar transfers. Thentechnique was extended to additional targeting methods: specified arrival flight-path angle, specified departurenflight-path angle, cotangent transfer, and coelliptic transfer. These targeting methods can be used to supplementnLambert targeting (or othermethods), givingmission planners and operators a wider range ofmaneuver options fornimproved rendezvous safety and other orbital transfers.