MSc Project
Howdy!
This page is somewhere for my ramblings regarding the project I’m doing as part of my MSc in Space Technology and Planetary Exploration at the University of Surrey. I’ll be building it up when I’ve got a bit more time but feel free to ask any questions using the comments…..alternatively find me on twitter.
Project Overview – Resonant Forcing of L-Point Orbits
Abstract:
This project will investigate low energy transfer orbits for the exploration of the Jupiter and Saturn moon systems. These transfers exploit the instability of periodic orbits about the Lagrange points. The moon systems, however, have resonant coupling between the orbits of the moons which causes a resonant forcing on periodic L point orbits. The project will consider the CR3BP and the energy required by a spacecraft to reach L-points, and the impact of resonant coupling on periodic L point orbits. The suitability of the low energy strategy of exploration will be assessed.
Okay, where to start….
The project is interested with Lagrange (or Libration) points where we have a satellite in a periodic orbit around the L-point as defined by what is known as the Circular Restricted Three Body Problem (CR3BP).
In my project work, I will consider a spacecraft in the above system with its orbit being perturbed by a fourth body that is resonant with one of the massive bodies.
The application of this work is the possibility of using the L-points to greatly reduce the amount of fuel a spacecraft would be required to carry to be able to traverse astronomical distances (for example, travel to Mars using a fraction of the fuel compared to current techniques).
More to follow…….
Added on 12 August 2009
I know I promised more though I haven’t had time to update this page yet! Final report is almost complete and as promised in that report I have put the software for the project up on megaupload, it can be found here!
v1.1 of the program can be found here.
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