Mission Design Considerations for a Low-Thrust Spacecraft

Scott N Karn

NASA NTRS · 20260005760

Mission Design Considerations for a Low-Thrust Spacecraft

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Abstract

Developing an executable low-thrust trajectory for use in a spaceflight mission requires the design and optimization of a deterministic trajectory as well as the validation that the selected architecture is robust to some set of uncertainties, execution errors, and potential contingencies. Uncertainty in the ability of the spacecraft and its launch vehicle to execute a trajectory as well as potential deviations such as in-flight anomalies combine with design-to constraints and requirements to complicate the optimization problem. The approach by which robust mission design was accomplished for the initial capability of NASA’s Gateway is presented as well as associated results.

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NRHO PPE missed thrust trajectory design trajectory optimization low thrust low-thrust gateway power and propulsion element electric propulsion mission design

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Scott N Karn. Mission Design Considerations for a Low-Thrust Spacecraft. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20260005760

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ELECTRIC PROPULSION subject Gateway subject Low-thrust subject Mission Design subject NRHO subject PPE subject Trajectory Optimization subject low thrust subject missed thrust subject power and propulsion element subject trajectory design subject

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