New Approaches for Human Deep-Space Exploration
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New Approaches for Human Deep-Space Exploration David W. Dunham · Robert W. Farquhar · Natan Eismont · Eugene Chumachenko
© American Astronautical Society 2014
Abstract We are undertaking a Russian-American study of orbital options to extend human exploration beyond the Moon’s orbit. For a viable program, an international collaboration (as now for the ISS) and reusable spacecraft will be needed. With reusable spacecraft, high-energy Earth orbits can be drastically modified with lunar swingbys and small maneuvers near the edge of the Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence, especially near the collinear Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon libration points, to reach desired destinations. The work will build on ideas developed by the International Academy of Astronautics’ exploration study group presented at the 2008 International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow. The first efforts could support backside lunar exploration from an Earth-Moon L2 temporary Lissajous or relatively permanent halo orbit; some quick low post-launch V trajectories are presented. In a stepping stone approach, later missions could service large space telescopes near the Sun-Earth L2 libration point; explore near-Earth asteroids; and then the moons of Mars. The study will use highly-elliptical Earth orbits whose line of apsides can
Presented at the International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics, Pasadena, California, November 1, 2012. D. W. Dunham () · R. W. Farquhar KinetX, Inc., 2050 E. ASU Circle, Suite 107, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA e-mail: [email protected] D. W. Dunham · E. Chumachenko Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics of National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, per. Trekhsvyatitelskiy B., dom 3, 109028 Moscow, Russia N. Eismont Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Science, 84/32 Profsoyuznaya Str., 117997 Moscow, Russia
J of Astronaut Sci
be rotated using lunar swingbys; then a propulsive maneuver, considerably smaller than that needed from a circular low-Earth orbit, can be applied at the right perigee to send the spacecraft on the right departure asymptote to a desired destination. Keywords Human space exploration · Libration-point orbits · Gravity assist trajectories · Near-Earth Asteroids · Mars
Introduction Human exploration beyond the Moon may be made possible with staging in highenergy orbits (such as in the Sun-Earth L2 region), as explained in large part in [1] and including what we now call “phasing orbit rendezvous”, or PhOR, essentially using the techniques that have already been proven by the third International SunEarth Explorer (ISEE-3) satellite [2], the WIND double lunar swingby trajectory [3], studies for the proposed Relict-2 mission [4], and the STEREO phasing orbits [5]. With the realities of the world today, it is very unlikely that one nation could accomplish a viable and sustainable program of human Solar System exploration. This will need to be an international program like the International Space Station. There is already an international framework, with the explorati
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