Low-Thrust Collision Avoidance Maneuver Optimization

Abstract

This work presents robust and numerically efficient algorithms for designing low-thrust collision avoidance maneuvers in short-term encounters. The conjunction dynamics are developed in a tridimensional space and then projected onto the B-plane, centered at the secondary object. Energy- and fuel-optimal maneuvers are computed by constraining the collision probability or the miss distance. A fully analytical approach is derived for energy-optimal collision avoidance maneuvers, providing a good guess for the fuel-optimal problem. The proposed methods are validated in terms of efficiency and robustness in a simulated scenario accounting for environmental perturbations.