Constant propellant use rendezvous scenario across a launch window for refueling missions

Active rendezvous of an unmanned spacecraft with the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle for refueling missions is investigated. The operational constraints facing both the maneuvering spacecraft and the Shuttle during a rendezvous sequence are presented. For example, the user spacecraft must arrive in the generic Shuttle control box at a specified time after Shuttle launch. In addition, the spacecraft must be able to initiate the transfer sequence from any point in its orbit. The standard four-burn rendezvous sequence, consisting of two Hohmann transfers and an intermediate phasing orbit, is presented as a low-energy solution for rendezvous and retrieval missions. However, for refueling missions, the Shuttle must completely refuel the spacecraft and return to Earth with no excess fuel. This additional constraint is not satisfied by the standard four-burn sequence. Therefore, a variation of the four-burn rendezvous, the constant delta-V scenario, was developed to satisfy the added requirement.