@article{Wang2020, 
author = {Yue Wang and Shijie Xu},
title = {Non-equatorial equilibrium points around an asteroid with gravitational orbit-attitude coupling perturbation},
year = {2020},
journal = {Astrodynamics},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {1-16},
keywords = {asteroid mission, gravitational orbit-attitude coupling perturbation (GOACP), attitude-restricted orbital dynamics, non-equatorial equilibrium points},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s42064-019-0068-7},
doi = {10.1007/s42064-019-0068-7},
abstract = {A recently proposed orbital dynamics model in the close proximity of an asteroid, which is called "attitude-restricted orbital dynamics" , includes the perturbation caused by the spacecraft’s gravitational orbit-attitude coupling. This orbital model improves the precisionof classical point-mass orbital model with only the non-spherical gravity. Equatorialequilibrium points have been investigated in the previous paper. In this paper, the in-plane non-equatorial equilibrium points, which are outside the asteroid’s equatorial plane but within its longitudinal principal plane, are further studied for a uniformly-rotating asteroid. These non-equatorial equilibrium points are more diverse than those in the classical point-mass orbital dynamics without gravitational orbit-attitude coupling perturbation (GOACP). Two families of them have been found. The equatorial equilibrium points studied before and the non-equatorial ones studied here give a complete map of equilibrium points in the asteroid’s principal planes. Compared with the classical point-mass orbital dynamics without GOACP, the equatorial equilibrium points have extended the longitude range of equilibrium points around an asteroid, while the non-equatorial ones studied here will extend the latitude range. These equatorial and non-equatorial equilibrium points provide natural hovering positions for the asteroid close-proximity operations.}
}