Design of Interplanetary Trajectories with Multiple Synergetic Gravitational Assist Maneuvers via Particle Swarm Optimization
Open Access
- Author:
- Shaw, Matthew Joseph
- Graduate Program:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- April 14, 2018
- Committee Members:
- Robert Graham Melton, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
David Bradley Spencer, Committee Member
Amy Ruth Pritchett, Committee Member - Keywords:
- orbital mechanics
interplanetary trajectory design
interplanetary travel
astrodynamics
space mission design
Particle Swarm Optimization
gravitational assist
multiple gravitational assist
gravity assist
multiple gravity assist
synergetic flyby
powered flyby
synergetic gravitational assist
synergetic gravity assist
powered gravitational assist
powered gravity assist
trajectory design - Abstract:
- The design capacity for synergetic gravity assists (powered flyby's) changes the type of possible optimal trajectories to distant planets. Heuristic optimization methods have potential to produce useful trajectories for design purposes. The application of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used to determine optimal mission trajectories from Earth to planets of interest, subject to synergetic gravity assist maneuver(s) in between. In order to verify the results from PSO, past missions are re-examined from a new design perspective. The trajectories designed by aid of PSO are compared to the trajectories involving the real mission dates. Test results are obtained for Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Cassini. The results closely resemble those of actual mission data, providing support for the new design method involving PSO and synergetic gravitational assists. The computation of these solutions offers the unique benefit of costing one to two minutes of wall clock time with standard desktop or laptop computing systems. In addition to the past missions that are considered for re-design, the work then extends the design method to a newly proposed multiple gravity-assist mission from Earth to Saturn that could take place within the next few years. Two different mission timelines are considered. Direct routes and multiple gravity assist (MGA) routes to Saturn are compared. The best solutions from PSO for the MGA routes are on an order of one half to one third the propellant cost as compared to the direct routes for the launch and arrival dates chosen. Finally, consideration for promising future research directions involving PSO and synergetic gravity assist maneuvers is discussed.