Analysis of the capacity to use a repulsive two-mass space system with periodically formed coupling to perform interorbital flights

Аuthors

Popov A. S.

Bauman Moscow State Technical University, MSTU, 5, bldg. 1, 2-nd Baumanskaya str., Moscow, 105005, Russia

e-mail: www-sm2@yandex.ru

Abstract

At present, methods for orbit parameters changing with cable system by periodical changing of its length for the case, when the cable is located in the plane orthogonal to the orbit plane, or when it lays in the orbit plane, are known. However, the orbit parameters changing is possible only in case of non-central gravity field. The presented paper offers the structure of interorbital transfer of the space system, consisting of two masses repulsed and retracted in the orbit plane by periodically formed coupling. The flight is considered in the central gravitational field.

Originally, the system represents a single spacecraft, consisting of two parts of equal weight. Initially, the system s on a circular orbit. The mass repulsion occurs in the direction tangent to the trajectory. Hereafter, the masses being uncoupled move independently of one another over various trajectories. Performing a various number of turns around the attracting center, after a certain period of time they will turn up on the line coinciding with the radius vector. One of the masses herewith will pass the pericentre of its orbit, while the other – its apocentre. At this moment, the masses contraction occurs assisted by the formed coupling. Methods of coupling formation are not considered in this paper. The paper demonstrates that the eventually formed orbit differs from the original one.

The authors obtained analytically the dependence of the system final velocity in the point of masses contraction after their contraction versus the speed of their repulsion ΔV.

The dependence of the masses contraction point radius vector versus the initial repulsion speed ΔV for the final orbit.

Here:

Solution of this problem revealed a theoretical possibility of orbit parameters changing for the system of a proposed type.

The analytical dependence of the speed value at the time of contraction versus the initial masses repulsion velocity is obtained.

The equation determining the radius vector in the point of masses contraction of the formed final orbit created.

Keywords:

space tether system, spacecraft ballistics, coplanar interorbital flight, spacecraft maneuvering

References

1. Malyshev G.V., Kul'kov V.M., Egorov Ju.G., Sharifullin R.R. Vestnik Moskovskogo aviacionnogo instituta, 2010, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 49-54.

2. Andreev A.V., Hlebnikova N.N. Kosmicheskie sistemy s gibkoj svjaz'ju (Space system with a flexible coupling), Moscow, VINITI, 1991, 199 p.

3. Aslanov V.S., Alekseev A.V., Ledkov A.S. Trudy MAI, 2016, no. 90, available at: http://www.mai.ru/upload/iblock/5fe/aslanov_alekseev_ledkov_rus.pdf

4. Ivanov V.A., Kupreev S.A., Ruchinskii V.S. Kosmicheskie trosovye sistemy (Space tethered systems), Moscow, Al'fa-M, INFRA-M, 2014, 208 p.

5. Kalashnikov L.M., Malyshev G.V., Svotin A.P. Problemy upravlenija, 2003, no. 4, pp. 63-66.

6. Beletskii V.V. Ocherki o dvizhenii kosmicheskikh tel (Essays on the motion of space bodies), Moscow, LKI, 2009, 432 p.

7. Breakwell J.V., Gearhart J. W. Pumping a Tethered Configuration to Boost its Orbit Around an Oblate Planet. NASA, AIAA, and PSN, International Conference on Tethers in Space, Arlington, VA, Sept. 17-19, 1986, 23 p.

8. Ivanov N.M., Lysenko L.N. Ballistika i navigatsiya kosmicheskikh apparatov (Spacecraft ballistics and navigation), Moscow, Drofa, 2004, 544 p.