Distant retrograde orbit baseline generation considering solar eclipse mitigation

• Published in: Acta astronautica Vol. 223; pp. 221 - 233
• Main Authors: Sun, Yang, Wang, Ming, Zhang, Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2024
• Subjects: DRO; Maneuver sequences; Orbit design; Solar eclipse mitigation; DRO; Solar eclipse mitigation; Maneuver sequences; Orbit design
• ISSN: 0094-5765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.06.038

Mitigating solar eclipses presents a formidable challenge in the design of spacecraft orbits, particularly in the case of a distant retrograde orbit (DRO), which is susceptible to significant solar eclipse threats. This paper undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence characteristics and patterns of both Moon and Earth eclipses on a DRO. The proposed approach involves a two-stage design procedure, encompassing initial orbit selection and orbit extension. The initial orbit selection method primarily focuses on mitigating Earth eclipses by employing the out-of-plane motion inherent in a DRO. The study meticulously explores the influence of three pivotal elements — amplitude, period, and initial phase — on the efficacy of Earth eclipse avoidance. Concurrently, when faced with unavoidable solar eclipses of the initial orbit, a series of tiny maneuvers are systematically applied to extend the baseline orbit. The parameter design space is discretized, and a tree search method is employed to identify viable maneuver sequences. The research successfully achieves the long-term stabilization of the baseline DRO, ensuring that solar eclipses do not exceed 2 h in 10 years. The proposed method’s robustness and applicability are substantiated through validation under the ephemeris model. •The occurrence characteristics and patterns of eclipses on DRO are analyzed.•The two-stage design approach contains initial state selection and orbit extension.•The out-of-plane motion of quasi-DRO is leveraged to mitigate Earth eclipses.•Maneuvers are applied to extend the DRO baseline, using the tree search method.•The robustness and applicability of the method validated under the ephemeris model.