Ptah-Raet Craig

December 3​rd​, 2018

Annotated Bibliography

This annotated bibliography is intended to be used in the discussion of Gravity Assists

Trajectories, and Flyby Missions. It pertains to the research question of how can gravity assists
trajectories be applied to current spacecraft in a way that will allow flyby missions to be
conducted in the outermost parts of the Solar System?

Azimov, D., “New Trends in Astrodynamics and Applications: Optimal Trajectories for Space
Guidance,” ​Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences​, vol. 1065, Jan. 2005, pp.
189–209. ​(Link)
Azimov offers analytic solutions as reference trajectories in constructing the
guidance for spacecraft equipped with power-limited propulsion. He discusses “The
importance of employing the analytically integrated trajectories in a mission design.”
(Azimov 189) He referenced differential equations, matrices optimality, trust arcs, and
first integrals in their research. Azimov suggest that the analytic solutions may be used
for reference trajectories in construction guidance schemes.
Okutsu, M., Yam, C. H., Longuski, J. M., and Strange, N. J., “Cassini Saturn-Escape Trajectories
to Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune,”​ ​Acta Astronautica​, vol. 79, 2012, pp. 157–167.​ ​(Link)
Researchers Okutsu, Yam, Strange, and Longsuki describes how Cassini
spacecraft could perform a Saturn escape via gravity assists from Titan, and potentially
escape the Solar System. They argue the unique ability of the Cassini spacecraft “​It is
shown that such satellite-aided escape requires a small deterministic maneuver (e.g., Δ​v
50 m/s), but provides enough energy for the Cassini spacecraft to reach a range of targets
in our Solar System, as close to the Sun as the asteroid belt or as far as the Kuiper belt.”
(Okutsu 157) Their research was conducted in a Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Which
allowed them to present a process to construct an end-of-mission tour, via gravity assists,
to enable the Cassini spacecraft to escape from Saturn and travel to other gas planets after
years of heliocentric flight. They conclude that the use of gravity assist trajectories will
create more opportunities for future missions.
Okutsu, M., Landau, D. F., Rogers, B. A., Longuski, J. M., “Low-Thrust Roundtrip Trajectories
to Mars with One-Synodic-Period Repeat Time,” ​Acta Astronautica​, vol. 110, 2015, pp.
191–205. ​(Link)
Okutsu, Landau, Rogers, and Longuski, contents that a single-vehicle,
one-synodic-period cycler does exist. In their example, “it is found that ‘stopover’
trajectories that spend 30 days in orbit about Earth and 30 days about Mars, and return
astronauts to Earth in one synodic period require a 90-t power generator with a power
 level of 11 MWe.” (Okutsu 191) They suggest developing two nuclear power generators,
that would be able to alternate flying the interplanetary trajectories and the Earth-spiral
trajectories. They employ the Mission Analysis Low Thrust Optimization program
developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Okutsu, M., and Longuski, J., “Mars free returns via gravity assist from Venus,” ​Journal of
Spacecraft and Rockets ​, vol. 39, 2000, pp. 31–36. ​(Link)
Okutsu and Longuski discuss “Mars free returns by searching for
Earth–Mars–Earth (EME) trajectories and assess their application in current plans for the
first human mission. Mars alone would not allow a free return but if they consider taking
a path from Mars-Venus or Venus-Mars it could occur. This is because of a short transit
time. They mention “the free return satisfies all of the DRM constraints concerning
launch energy, launch window, right time to Mars, and total time to return.” (Okutsu 36)
They conclude that their suggested free-return trajectory could easily be added to DRM
plans because it does not require any significant or major changes to the missions
constraints and increases the crew’s safety.

Paul, SN, and C. Frueh. "Space-Object Charging and its Effect on Orbit Evolution." Journal of
Guidance Control and Dynamics​, vol. 40, no. 12, 2017, pp. 3180-3198.​ ​(Link)

Paul and Frueh suggest that “With the increasing number of uncontrolled objects
in the space environment surrounding Earth, it has become important to keep track of the
orbits of these objects so as to avoid collisions with active space assets.” (Paul 3180)
They would like to document the in-space objects moving, to protect spacecraft. There
was modeling and computing done to conduct research. Paul and Frueh mention
“Simulations are run for the HAMR and LAMR spherical aluminum conductors over
GEOs and LEOs.” (Paul 3197) Their research also covers the magnitude and polarity of
an object voltage. They conclude their work in U.S Air Force Research Laboratory.