Design of Low Fuel Trajectory in Interior Realm as a Backup Trajectory for Lunar Exploration

In case of a failure on a Hohmann-base translunar trajectory, a reconfiguration of the trajectory that utilizes the three body dynamics of the interior realm of Earth-moon system is proposed. The stable and unstable manifold of a periodic orbit around L1 point extended toward the Earth side have homoclinic intersections. In the proposed method, after detection of a failure on the nominal trajectory, the trajectory is modified by small maneuvers so that the spacecraft can be kicked back by the moon and transferred to the unstable manifold. Then the spacecraft is returned back to the moon side through the intersection with the corresponding stable manifold on the Earth side. The periodic orbit is again used as a parking orbit so that the amount of delta-v at the moon orbit insertion can be reduced. Since the required amounts of delta-v at each individual maneuver are small throughout the reconfigured trajectory, it can serve as a solution for a backup trajectory in case of amain engine failure. Also since the operability in interior realm is good and the trajectory takes time, it can give a great chance for diagnosis and repair of the failure before arriving at the moon. Transactions of the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, Aerospace Technology Japan This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproduction, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright c © Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc., 2014 201 Broadway, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139