Instantaneous Impact Point Guidance with Coast Arcs for Solid Rockets

This paper proposed an analytical iterative guidance method with the desired instantaneous impact point constraint for solid rockets in “burn-coast-burn” trajectory mode. Solid rocket motors expect to remove the thrust termination mechanism to increase the structural strength and launch reliability, which induce new difficulties and challenges to the guidance problems. In terms of the “Hohmann transfer” principle, a pointing algorithm is deduced in depth to establish the theoretical relations among the ignition time, the required velocity vector, and the orbital element constraints and provides the analytical expression of the ignition time. Then, an analytic solution of the required velocity vector is derived based on orthogonal and nonorthogonal velocity vectors, and a complete guidance logic is used to solve the target orbit elements satisfying the desired instantaneous impact point. Finally, the application of the developed theoretical algorithm in this paper is conducted using a two-stage solid rocket. The proposed guidance method is verified by Monte Carlo simulations, and the testing results demonstrate the adaptability, strong robustness, and excellent performance for different desired impact point missions.

Effect of the Altitudes and Eccentricity of the Initial Orbit on Satellite Transition Efficiency

This research dealt with choosing the best satellite parking orbit and then the transition of the satellite from the low Earth orbit to the geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The aim of this research is to achieve this transition with the highest possible efficiency (lowest possible energy, time, and fuel consumption with highest accuracy) in the case of two different inclination orbits. This requires choosing a suitable primary parking orbit. All of the methods discussed in previous studies are based on two orbits at the same plane, mostly applying the circular orbit as an initial orbit. This transition required the use of the advanced technique of the Hohmann transfer method for the elliptical orbits, as we did in an earlier research, namely the transition from the perigee of the initial orbit to the final orbit and then conducting the rotation of the orbit plane to match the plane for the desired final orbit. The effect of the perigee altitude of the initial orbit on the transition efficiency calculated for the values ​​between 300 to 3000 km. It was found that increasing the altitude reduces the energy and fuel needed for transportation, but the time required for transportation increases, into account that the increased height of the initial or parking orbit also implies the requirement of higher energy to reach it. The effects of eccentricity (e) values of the initial orbit between 0.01 to 0.2 on the transition efficiency were calculated. It was found that the increase in (e) reduces the energy and fuel, but does not affect the time, required for transportation.

MINIMIZING FUEL CONSUMPTION IN ORBIT TRANSFERS USING UNIVERSAL VARIABLE AND PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION

Minimizing fuel consumption in space travels is becoming increasingly important for spatial development. In the present paper, the fuel consumption in orbit transfers (without gravitational assistance) is minimized, where a spacecraft performs a change from an orbit around the Earth to another one around a different celestial body. Two methods are presented: one of immediate transfer and another with wait time. Minimizing is done by solving a nonlinear system, obtained by applying Lagrange multipliers to the equation modelling the keplerian system, and using the seeds coming from the particle swarm algorithm to execute the Newton’s method. Numerical simulations with real values were made to compare these methods with the Hohmann transfer and data from the specialized literature.

Voyage to Mars - A foresight

Highlights:1) Confirming theoretically by analysing the presence of five elements (Panchaboothams) in Mars and suggests that Mars will be a possible place for life.2) Comparing the analogies between Hohmann transfer orbit concept and our ancients’ astronomical Science knowledge (prior to Hohmann concept). 3) Suggestions based on idea for making spacecraft / satellite into particles and sending them through radio waves and assembled them later.