Optimal low-thrust transfers to halo orbits about the L2 libration point in the Earth-Moon system (elliptical problem)

This paper develops a systematic procedure for generating optimal low-thrust transfers from one of the primaries in the elliptic restricted three-body problem (ER3BP) to a halo orbit in the three-body system. The examples all involve transfers from Earth to halo orbits about the L2 point in the Earth-Moon system. Using a transformation to the pulsating coordinate system (distances scaled by the time-varying range between primaries), it is possible to employ the method of stable manifolds to determine low-thrust trajectories that correctly inject into a specified halo orbit. The paper includes examples of both circular and elliptical halo orbits.