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Perturbation guidance for minimum time flight paths of spacecraft.The problem of transferring a rocket vehicle from a given circular orbit to a larger coplanar circular orbit in minimum time, using a constant low-thrust rocket engine, is considered. Parameters are chosen to correspond to a transfer from the earth's orbit in heliocentric space to the orbit of Mars. A path satisfying the first order necessary conditions of variational calculus is shown to be locally minimizing by application of a set of second order conditions. A physical explanation is offered to justify the retrothrust period occurring during the flight. A neighboring optimum feedback control law, based on estimated time-to-go, is applied to this problem. State variable and terminal constraint feedback gains are calculated while one of the second order conditions, involving the backward integration of a matrix Riccati equation, is being tested.
Document ID
19720057894
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wood, L. J.
(California Institute of Technology Pasadena, Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
August 6, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1972
Subject Category
Navigation
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 72-915
Accession Number
72A41560
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGL-05-020-007
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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