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Astrodynamics 2018, 2(1): 25-37 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-017-0009-2
Research Article | Issue | Published: 05 March 2018

Optimization of observing sequence based on nominal trajectories of symmetric observing configuration

Show Author's Information Hongwei Yang1,  Gao Tang1,2,  Fanghua Jiang1( )
School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
Keywords:
optimization, low thrust, branch and bound, symmetric observing configuration, GTOC
Cite this article:
Yang H, Tang G, Jiang F. Optimization of observing sequence based on nominal trajectories of symmetric observing configuration. Astrodynamics, 2018, 2(1): 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-017-0009-2
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Abstract Full text About this article

This paper presents the crucial method for obtaining our team’s results in the 8th Global Trajectory Optimization Competition (GTOC8). Because the positions and velocities of spacecraft cannot be completely determined by one observation on one radio source, the branch and bound method for sequence optimization of multi-asteroid exploration cannot be directly applied here. To overcome this difficulty, an optimization method for searching the observing sequence based on nominal low-thrust trajectories of the symmetric observing configuration is proposed. With the symmetric observing configuration, the normal vector of the triangle plane formed by the three spacecraft rotates in the ecliptic plane periodically and approximately points to the radio sources which are close to the ecliptic plane. All possible observing opportunities are selected and ranked according to the nominal trajectories designed by the symmetric observing configuration. First, the branch and bound method is employed to find the optimal sequence of the radio source with thrice observations. Second, this method is also used to find the optimal sequence of the left radio sources. The nominal trajectories are then corrected for accurate observations. The performance index of our result is 128,286,317.0 km which ranks the second place in GTOC8.


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About this article

Optimization of observing sequence based on nominal trajectories of symmetric observing configuration

Show Author's information Hongwei Yang1, Gao Tang1,2, Fanghua Jiang1( )
School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA

Abstract

This paper presents the crucial method for obtaining our team’s results in the 8th Global Trajectory Optimization Competition (GTOC8). Because the positions and velocities of spacecraft cannot be completely determined by one observation on one radio source, the branch and bound method for sequence optimization of multi-asteroid exploration cannot be directly applied here. To overcome this difficulty, an optimization method for searching the observing sequence based on nominal low-thrust trajectories of the symmetric observing configuration is proposed. With the symmetric observing configuration, the normal vector of the triangle plane formed by the three spacecraft rotates in the ecliptic plane periodically and approximately points to the radio sources which are close to the ecliptic plane. All possible observing opportunities are selected and ranked according to the nominal trajectories designed by the symmetric observing configuration. First, the branch and bound method is employed to find the optimal sequence of the radio source with thrice observations. Second, this method is also used to find the optimal sequence of the left radio sources. The nominal trajectories are then corrected for accurate observations. The performance index of our result is 128,286,317.0 km which ranks the second place in GTOC8.

Keywords: optimization, low thrust, branch and bound, symmetric observing configuration, GTOC

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 16 December 2016
Accepted: 20 June 2017
Published: 05 March 2018
Issue date: March 2018

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press 2017

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11672146 and 11432001). The authors thank the organizer of GTOC8.

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