Note: This post is adapted from my conference paper, which was presented at the Astrodynamics Specialists Conference in Summer 2020. You can read the full paper here.
Abstract – Designing Trajectories Resilient to Missed Thrust Events Using Expected Thrust Fraction
With the adoption of efficient low-thrust propulsion methods, the probability of a missed thrust event occurring has become a significant concern for short and long-duration missions. If the missed thrust events take place during a critical portion of the trajectory, the mission can be compromised. Therefore, it is essential to develop trajectories that are resilient to missed thrust events. This paper investigates the use of expected thrust fraction, which embeds the stochastic nature of missed thrust events into a deterministic optimal control problem. The performance of trajectories designed using expected thrust fraction is compared with traditionally designed trajectories to measure changes in resiliency to missed thrust events. In this investigation, trajectories designed using expected thrust fraction arrive with a median lateness half that of traditionally designed trajectories. Using expected thrust fraction can help astrodynamicists mitigate risks posed by the use of low-thrust propulsion.
Key Takeaways
The full paper is online here, but here are, in my opinion, the most interesting aspects
- The stochastic nature of missed thrust events can be embedded into a time-varying duty cycle
- It makes trajectories more resilient to missed thrust events
- The risk of a mission and mass delivered can be traded between
Presentation
Due to COVID-19, this conference was held virtually, and I have uploaded a video of my presentation below.
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