Fundamentals of Libration Point Mission Design - Applications
Discipline: Guidance, Navigation & Control
Webcast Air Date: January 18, 2017
With the fundamentals of libration point mission design essentially understood, application of these multi-body environment basics is being pursued through research and the incorporation of these techniques into the operational mission design process. The vicinity near and through libration points has been exploited by many missions both as the desired science location as well as gateways to attain unique science orbits. Such mission scenarios offer exceptional opportunities but involve complex and competing requirements. The libration point orbit mathematical foundations and dynamical structures are evolving to enable the real-world applications. For example, the construction of periodic orbits and their stable and unstable manifolds are routinely generated as initial conditions for final trajectory optimization in operational mission design tools. This webcast includes a discussion of the basics of libration point astrodynamics and the application of these mathematical constructs to design such trajectories.
