Abstract:

Trajectory optimization with hybrid propulsion system is studied under Earth-Moon circular restricted three-body model. The total fuel consumption of both chemical and electrical propulsion systems is minimized, and based on the calculus of variation, the first-order necessary condition and analytic Jacobian are derived. These methods are applied to Earth-Moon L1 minimum-fuel trajectory optimization, the simulation reveals that this kind of methods afford various combination of flight time and total fuel consumption, thus giving a greater flexibility in the mission design.

Key words: Trajectory optimization, Electric propulsion, Optimal control theory, Three-body problem, Hybrid propulsion