Optimal Multiple-Impulse Circular Orbit Phasing

A study considers the fundamental problem of circular orbit phasing by performing a multiple-impulse maneuver. It is shown below that the peculiar properties of the considered problem allow a simpler procedure of finding the globally optimal solution. It appears to be composed of two- and four-impulse maneuvers and switches between them as the phasing maneuver duration grows. Two-impulse maneuvers do not require any optimization, as they are unambiguously calculated as least-delta-v solutions to the multiple-revolution Lambert problem.