AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF ORBITAL RENDEZVOUS FOR LEAST FUEL AND LEAST ENERGY
Abstract
A study is made of the problem of economical rendezvous of a maneuvering space vehicle with an orbiting target vehicle. It is shown that an economical rendezvous depends upon (a) the time that is taken for the rendezvous maneuver from the position at which it is initiated, and (b) the selection of this position in the uncorrected relative motion. A guidance logic for economical rendezvous is derived. It is a multi-impulse scheme and depends upon a priori knowledge of the target orbit parameters and the continuous measurement of the relative range and the relative velocity vectors following target acquisition. It is applicable if the target orbit is circular or near an apsis in any conic orbit. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0272157
Entities
People
- Harold Hornby
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration