FINAL APPROACH IN SPATIAL RENDEZVOUS AND ELECTRIC PROPULSION

摘要

We present a new method of making the final approach trajectories for a rendezvous between two spacecrafts or between a spacecraft and a station. The final approach is performed by the use in two successive steps of suitable forces having variable amplitude and direction. Electric thrusters can be today considered as the best devices to obtain these forces acting on a spacecraft. The suggested method could be also employed to maintain the geometrical figure of a constellation of satellites. The mathematical description is based on the equations of Hill with the introduction of additional forces. The method is illustrated by three examples.