Abstract
After the Chang’e-2 spacecraft conducted a successful asteroid flyby, where is it flying to in interplanetary space? This question is answered via an introduction to the Chang’e-2’s flight trajectory after asteroid flyby that is termed Earth co-orbital motion. Based on preliminary analysis using the dynamical systems theory, Poincaré sections concept, and routine optimization techniques, it is now predicted that, from the point of view of orbital mechanics, Chang’e-2 is capable of returning to the vicinity of the Earth in no more than 20 a and might be recaptured by the Earth if appropriate orbital maneuvers are going to be exerted, either by itself or by another spacecraft that captures Chang’e-2.
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Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Prof. Hengnian Li, the deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Astronautic Dynamics, for providing the Chang’e-2’s orbital states on Feb 21, 2013, which is a primary motivation to conduct this study; Prof. Jiangchuan Huang, the Chief Designer of the Chang’e-2 spacecraft; the other anonymous reviewers for their valuable revision suggestions.
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Gao, Y. The analysis of the Earth co-orbital motion of Chang’e-2 after asteroid flyby. Chin. Sci. Bull. 59, 2045–2049 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0274-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0274-x