EARTH-MOON LIBRATION STATIONKEEPING: THEORY, MODELING, AND OPERATIONS

Collinear Earth-Moon libration points have emerged as locations with immediate applications. These libration point orbits are inherently unstable and must be controlled at a rapid frequency which constrains operations and maneuver locations. Stationkeeping is challenging due to short time scales of divergence, effects of large orbital eccentricity of the secondary body, and third-body perturbations. Using the Acceleration Reconnection and Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) mission orbit as our platform (hypothesis), we contrast and compare promising stationkeeping strategies including Optimal Continuation and Mode Analysis that achieved consistent and reasonable operational stationkeeping costs. Background on the fundamental structure and the dynamical models to achieve these demonstrated results are discussed along with their mathematical development.