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A Smoothed Eclipse Model for Solar Electric Propulsion Trajectory OptimizationSolar electric propulsion (SEP) is the dominant design option for employing low-thrust propulsion on a space mission. Spacecraft solar arrays power the SEP system but are subject to blackout periods during solar eclipse conditions. Discontinuity in power available to the spacecraft must be accounted for in trajectory optimization, but gradient-based methods require a differentiable power model. This work presents a power model that smooths the eclipse transition from total eclipse to total sunlight with a logistic function. Example trajectories are computed with differential dynamic programming, a second-order gradient-based method.
Document ID
20170005518
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Aziz, Jonathan (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Scheeres, Daniel (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Parker, Jeffrey (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Englander, Jacob (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
June 13, 2017
Publication Date
June 3, 2017
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Astrodynamics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN42983
Meeting Information
Meeting: 2017 International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics
Location: Matsuyama
Country: Japan
Start Date: June 3, 2017
End Date: June 9, 2017
Sponsors: Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX14AM35H
OTHER: 2017-595-DDP
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
optimization
trajectory design

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