Vertical landing on an asteroidThis work is concerned with the final approach phase and vertical landing on an asteroid with a power-limited, electrically propelled spacecraft. With gravitational effects taken into account, a new solution to the fuel optimal vertical landing on an asteroid was obtained. In this solution, the spacecraft commanded acceleration is explicitly expressed as a function of vehicle velocity and time to go. Based on qualitative methods of analysis, the guidance strategy and the resulting trajectories were studied. It is shown that these fuel-optimal trajectories effectively assure a vertical soft landing on the asteroid. Results of numerical simulations for the vertical landing, starting from an elliptical orbit are presented.
Document ID
19960009736
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Harel, D. (Technion - Israel Inst. of Tech. Haifa, Israel)
Geulman, M. (Rafael Armament Development Authority Haifa, Israel)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Civilian Space Applications