Effect of Planetary Eccentricity on Ballistic Capture in the Solar System

Ballistic capture of spacecraft and celestial bodies by planets of the solar system is studied considering the elliptic restricted three body model. A preferential region, due to the eccentricity of the planet and the Sun-gravity-gradient effect is found for the capture phenomenon. An analytical formula is derived which determines the limiting value of the satellite capture eccentricity ec as a function of the pericenter distance xp and planet’s true anomaly. The analytic values ec are tested by a numerical propagator, which makes use of planetary ephemeris, and only a small difference with respect to numerical integration is found. It turns out that lower values of ec occur when the planet anomaly is close to zero; that is, capture is easier when the planet is at its perihelion. This fact is confirmed by the capture of celestial bodies. It is shown that Jupiter comets are generally captured when Jupiter is in its perihelion region. Ballistic capture is also important in interplanetary missions. The propellant saved using the minimum ballistic capture eccentricity is evaluated for different missions and compared with respect to the case in which the insertion orbit is a parabola: a significant saving can be accomplished.