Hybrid Low Thrust Propulsion Trajectory Design and Optimization Using Virtual Gravity Method

A novel spacecraft trajectory design method using hybrid low thrust system is proposed in this paper. The hybrid system is constituted with a solar sail propulsion thruster and a solar electric propulsion thruster. In proposed method, the former one provides radical thrust and circumferential thrust to from a virtual gravity, while the later one provides a tangential thrust. In this way, the spacecraft is virtually motioned by constant tangential thrust in a virtual gravity field. Using proposed method, the thrusting trajectory can be parameterized, and a large number of feasible trajectories for circle to circle rendezvous problem can be obtained. To the end the steering law to minimize the fuel cost is found using Matlab optimization tools Fmicon function, and the result is compared with traditional pure solar electric propulsion method in terms of payload mass fraction. The simulation results show that the proposed method can reduced propellant consumption significantly compared with the pure SEP system. © 2018, Editorial Board of Journal of Northwestern Polytechnical University. All right reserved.