Skip to main content
Log in

Three-dimensional, periodic, ‘halo’ orbits

  • Published:
Celestial mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A largely numerical study was made of families of three-dimensional, periodic, ‘halo’ orbits near the collinear libration points in the restricted three-body problem. Families extend from each of the libration points to the nearest primary. They appear to exist for all values of the mass ratio μ, from 0 to 1. More importantly, most of the families contain a range of stable orbits. Only near L1, the libration point between the two primaries, are there no stable orbits for certain values of μ. In that case the stable range decreases with increasing μ, until it disappears at μ=0.0573. Near the other libration points, stable orbits exist for all mass ratios investigated between 0 and 1. In addition, the orbits increase in size with increasing μ.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Breakwell, J. V. and Brown, J. V.: 1979, ‘The “Halo” Family of 3-Dimensional Periodic Orbits in the Earth-Moon Restricted 3-Body Problem’,Celest. Mech. 20, 389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, R. W.: 1968, ‘The Control and Use of Libration-Point Satellites’, Ph. D. Dissertation, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. U.S.A.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, R. W.: 1970, ‘The Control and Use of Libration-Point Satellites’, NASA TR R-346.

  • Farquhar, R. W.: 1972, ‘A Halo-Orbit Lunar Station’,Astronautics and Aeronautics, pp. 59–63.

  • Farquhar, R. W. and Kamel, A. A.: 1973, ‘Quasi-Periodic Orbits About the Translunar Libration Point’,Celest. Mech. 7, 458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, R. W., Muhonen, D. P., and Richardson, D. L.: 1977, ‘Mission Design for a Halo Orbiter of the Earth’,J. Spacecraft Rockets 14, 170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, D. L.: 1979, ‘Halo-Orbit Formulation for the ISEE-3 Mission’,AAS Paper, 79–127.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Connor Howell, K. Three-dimensional, periodic, ‘halo’ orbits. Celestial Mechanics 32, 53–71 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01358403

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01358403

Keywords

Navigation