Orbital Maneuvers
The precise control and execution of orbital maneuvers play a critical role in space missions and satellite operations. The orbitalManeuvers.jl file offers a comprehensive set of functions to obtain the delta-v costs of different orbital maneuvers in space; to help students obtain the preliminary estimations performed in the early stages of planning any space mission. These functions, listed in the table, are designed to address some specific maneuver scenarios and requirements. Therefore, enabling them to determine the optimal strategies for achieving the desired orbital configurations.
One of the fundamental maneuvers supported by the module is the Hohmann transfer, which allows the transfer of a spacecraft or satellite between two coplanar orbits. It also includes functions for performing plane change maneuvers, and some approximations for low-thrust maneuvers, these latter maneuvers are typically executed by utilizing continuous and low-thrust propulsion systems.
| Function Name | Inputs | Outputs | Functionality |
|---|---|---|---|
| HohmannTransfer_circular | r1::Float64, r2::Float64, mu::Float64 | deltaV::Float64 | Hohmann transfer between 2 circular and coplanar orbits |
| HohmannTransfer_elliptic | rp1::Float64, e1::Float64, rp2::Float64, e2::Float64 mu::Float64 | deltaV::Float64 | Hohmann transfer between 2 elliptic and coplanar orbits |
| planeChange_circular | ra::Float64, delta_i::Float64, mu::Float64 | deltaV::Float64 | Obtain the Δv required to perform a Plane Change Maneuver between 2 circular orbits |
| planeChange_apoapsis2apoapsis | stateVector1::MyStateVector, stateVector2::MyStateVector, delta_i::Float64, mu::Float64 –––––––––––––––––- coe1::MyCOE, coe2::MyCOE, mu::Float64 | deltaV::Float64 | Obtain the min Δv required to perform a Plane Change Maneuver between 2 elliptical orbits |
| LowThrust_orbitRaising_circular | r1::Float64, r2::Float64, mu::Float64 | deltaV::Float64 | Low Thrust Orbit Raising between 2 circular and coplanar orbits |
| LowThrust_planeChange_circular | ra::Float64, delta_i::Float64, mu::Float64 | deltaV::Float64 | Low Thrust Plane Change Maneuver between two circular orbits with the same radius ($ra$) |
| HohmannTransfer_tof | coe1::MyCOE, coe2::MyCOE, tof::Float64, mu::Float64 | deltaV::MyVector, vT1::MyVector, vT2::MyVector | Given a desired time of flight and the COE of two orbits, calculate the Δv vector and the velocity vectors at the beginning and at the end of the Hohmann transfer. |