Open Access

ARTICLE

Low Thrust Minimum Time Orbit Transfer Nonlinear Optimization Using Impulse Discretization via the Modified Picard–Chebyshev Method

Darin Koblick^1,2,3, Shujing Xu⁴, Joshua Fogel⁵, Praveen Shankar¹

1 California State University - Long Beach, CA, USA.
2 Millennium Space Systems Inc., El Segundo, CA, USA.
3 Claremont Graduate University, CA, USA.
4 University of California - San Diego, CA, USA.
5 University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2016, 111(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2016.111.001

Abstract

The Modified Picard-Chebyshev Method (MPCM) is implemented as an orbit propagation solver for a numerical optimization method that determines minimum time orbit transfer trajectory of a satellite using a series of multiple impulses at intermediate waypoints. The waypoints correspond to instantaneous impulses that are determined using a nonlinear constrained optimization routine, SNOPT with numerical force models for both Two-Body and J2 perturbations. It is found that using the MPCM increases run-time performance of the discretized lowthrust optimization method when compared to other sequential numerical solvers, such as Adams-Bashforth-Moulton and Gauss-Jackson 8th order methods.

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