Trajectory options for low-cost missions to asteroids

Abstract We consider a wide variety of gravity-assist trajectories using Venus, Earth and Mars to obtain low launch energy trajectories to four large asteroids in the main belt. These trajectories are constructed by analytic and numeric search techniques. We optimize promising trajectories for minimum total Δ V and search for additional (nontargeted) asteroid flybys. Several optimized opportunities with multiple asteroid flybys are reported, followed by a discussion of general characteristics of the various trajectory types.