Trajectory Optimization for a Mission to the Solar Bow Shock and Minor Planets

Trajectory Optimization for a Mission to the Solar Bow Shock and Minor Planets

Oldenhuis, R.P.S.

Noomen, R. (mentor)

Aerospace Engineering

Astrodynamics and Space Missions

2010-04-16

In November 2003 the Voyager 1 spacecraft pierced through the Solar system’s termination shock, followed by Voyager 2 in August 2007. These events marked the beginning of interstellar exploration by spacecraft, which caused a wave of renewed interest in the outer heliosphere throughout the scienti?c community. This thesis research investigated the feasibility of a mission to the Solar bow shock (the true interstellar boundary) at ?200 AU from the Sun; twice as far as the Voyager spacecraft. The techniques used in designing its trajectory were standard gravitational-assist manoeuvres and/or a single close-proximity flyby with the Sun, and both low-thrust and high-thrust propulsion systems were investigated. Minimum time of ?ight and maximum spacecraft dry mass were primary objectives, whereas the number and quality of minor planet ?ybys were secondary objectives. A maximum on the time of ?ight of 15 years was upheld, extendible to a maximum of 25 years in case the ?rst constraint could not be met or proved overly bene?cial to the other objectives. This constraint necessitated upholding a maximum of 3 gravitational-assist manoeuvres, which gave rise to a search space of 146 unique ?yby sequences. A novel optimization algorithm developed in this thesis (GODLIKE) identi?ed 3 feasible sequences, which were only feasible in combination with a high-thrust propulsion system. The most promising sequence (Earth/Jupiter/Uranus/bow shock) proved capable of reaching the bow shock with minimal risk and impact on the spacecraft’s dry mass. The best result found requires a ?V of 5.86 km/s and approaches approximately 14 minor planets to within 0.03 AU. The total time of ?ight could unfortunately not be kept below 15 years; technically feasible trajectories could only be generated for times of ?ight between 23 and 25 years. Despite the long time of ?ight, the results developed in this research do show that it is possible to traverse the entire heliosphere using time-proven and conventional means.

Trajectory optimization
Minor Planet
Interstellar

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:6672aa53-6ecc-4571-85b2-2d4aafbba5bd

2010-05-01

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2010 Oldenhuis, R.P.S.