Gravitational Multibody Dynamics: A Quick‑start Guide - Lesson 1: Choosing the Right Model

Instructions:
- Add this to your calendar for a convenient 15-minute reminder.
- Join Teams Meeting during allotted time for webcast.
- Enjoy!

Abstract:
This session introduces gravitational multibody dynamics through the restricted three-body problem, moving from the absolute formulation to normalized rotating and pulsating coordinates. The lecture shows how the elliptic restricted three-body problem reduces to the circular restricted three-body problem and uses CR3BP examples to examine when simplifying away a secondary body changes the trajectory behavior in meaningful ways.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Davide Guzzetti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University and a Samuel Ginn Faculty Achievement Fellow. His work centers on astrodynamics and space mission design, including spacecraft trajectory design in multi-body and cislunar environments, cislunar domain awareness, spatial computing for astrodynamics, and small orbital debris remediation. He has received a NASA Early Career Faculty Award and recognition as a NASA NIAC Fellow, along with Auburn University recognitions for research and mentorship. At Auburn, he teaches space mission design and orbital mechanics, and contributed to Designing the Moonshot: Introduction to Multi-Body Dynamics, a massive open online course on multi-body gravitational dynamics. He is a current member of the American Astronautical Society Space Flight Mechanics Committee. Dr. Guzzetti earned his Ph.D. in Astrodynamics from Purdue University, M.S. degrees in Space Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.