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Cislunar Periodic Orbit Constellation Assessment for Space Domain Awareness of L1 and L2 Halo Orbits

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

11-15-2021

Abstract

The continued development and support of the Artemis program and similar efforts has made frequent Earth-Moon travel more likely than ever in the coming decades. With this surge in traffic, it is paramount that safe and effective space traffic management techniques are established to ensure the continued protection of U.S. space-based assets from catastrophic collisions. Performing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) utilizing classical terrestrial and/or space-based sensors in near-Earth orbits becomes increasingly difficult when applied to the cislunar orbit regime. Cislunar periodic orbits provide an elegant means to fill this capability gap while also providing mission-related benefits in terms of propellant savings for orbit maintenance. In this work, Earth-Moon periodic orbits are analyzed, both individually and in constellations with one another, for timely identification and tracking of notional satellites in L1 and L2 halo orbits. The orbits analyzed are modeled in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP). The propellant required to maintain the same trajectory when transitioning to the Bicircular Restricted Four-Body Problem (BCR4BP) is also presented. The implementation of multiple dynamical models is sought in order to compare orbit maintenance costs when transitioning to higher fidelity models such as from the CR3BP to the BCR4BP. Notional space-to-space sensors are used to determine limitations of periodic orbit geometry for the SDA mission as a function of capability, range, and Sun/Earth/Moon exclusion angles. Visual magnitude is used in determining if a target satellite is visible. Results are tabulated, graphs are presented, and recommendations are given for Earth-Moon periodic orbit constellations for halo orbit surveillance.

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Source Publication

Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery conference, ASCEND 2021

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