Abstract:
The second-order analytical state propagation under an arbitrary continuous thrust is proposed for relative motion in J_{2}-perturbed elliptic chief orbits. The mean re...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
The second-order analytical state propagation under an arbitrary continuous thrust is proposed for relative motion in J_{2}-perturbed elliptic chief orbits. The mean relative orbital elements are used to describe the relative motion. The second-order relative motion equations are obtained by performing the Taylor expansion of the nonlinear relative motion equations about the chief orbit. The original thrust acceleration is approximated by a truncated Fourier series in terms of the eccentric anomaly of the chief orbit. Based on the first-order state propagation and the thrust acceleration Fourier-series expansion, the second-order propagation of the mean relative orbital elements is obtained. Numerical simulations show that the state propagation errors of the second-order solution are reduced by 1–2 orders of magnitude when compared with the first-order solution.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems ( Volume: 59, Issue: 3, June 2023)