Low Thrust Constant Acceleration Trajectories for a Mercury Orbit

  • Werner-Andreas Heusmann
Conference paper

Abstract

A probe launched into an orbit around the planet Mercury would be capable of giving new information about this planet. Using chemical propulsion systems, transfer orbits require rather high performance. Therefore the application of ion thrusters is necessary.

Based on parameters and the power supply of three German ion thrusters (RIT 10, ESKA 18 and HIT 5) the optimization of interplanetary trajectories in to a Mercury orbit is discussed. The different trajectories will be considered as trajectories in the ecliptic plane. The launch dates, the flight durations and the different mission profiles are presented.

Flight paths will start in Earth orbit. Parking orbits between 200 km and 1000 km are considered.

The interplanetary trajectories will end in an orbit around the target planet Mercury. The computations are made for trajectories under

  • tangential acceleration,

  • radial acceleration,

  • constant acceleration.

All problems are analyzed, using an IBM-360/50 Digital computer and the final results are presented. The paper gives detailed information about the theoretical requirements and different equations of motion. Finally the basic computer program is discussed.

Keywords

Flight Path Specific Impulse Transfer Orbit Radial Acceleration Launch Date 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht-Holland 1973

Authors and Affiliations

  • Werner-Andreas Heusmann
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt eV (DGLR)Germany
  2. 2.The AlAAMünster/WestfalenGermany

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