Date of Award
12-1997
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
First Advisor
William E. Wiesel, PhD
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of launching a Delta Clipper-like vehicle on an optimal, non-coplanar trajectory to rendezvous with an earth orbiting object in one orbit or less. The focus of the research was to determine what such a trajectory would look like, and to determine the cost, in payload mass, of flying such a trajectory. A model for the ascent trajectory was developed using the dynamics equations of motion, an atmosphere model, and an aerodynamic model for the DC-Y concept vehicle. A boundary value problem was posed and solved for a coplanar rendezvous. The non-coplanar solutions were obtained through extrapolation from the coplanar solution.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-GSO-ENY-97D-03
DTIC Accession Number
ADA335740
Recommended Citation
Sears, Gregory B., "Optimal Non-Coplanar Launch to Quick Rendezvous" (1997). Theses and Dissertations. 5768.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/5768