The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission, scheduled to be launched in 2017. TESS will travel in a highly eccentric orbit around Earth, with initial perigee radius near 17 Earth radii (Re) and apogee radius near 59 Re. The orbit period is near 2:1 resonance with the Moon, with apogee nearly 90 degrees out-of-phase with the Moon, in a configuration that has been shown to be operationally stable. TESS will execute phasing loops followed by a lunar flyby, with a final maneuver to achieve 2:1 resonance with the Moon. The goals of a resonant orbit with long-term stability, short eclipses and limited oscillations of perigee present significant challenges to the trajectory design. To rapidly assess launch opportunities, we adapted the Schematics Window Methodology (SWM76) launch window analysis tool to assess the TESS mission constraints. To understand the long-term dynamics of such a resonant orbit in the Earth-Moon system we employed Dynamical Systems Theory in the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem (CR3BP). For precise trajectory analysis we use a high-fidelity model and multiple shooting in the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) to optimize the maneuver delta-V and meet mission constraints. Finally we describe how the techniques we have developed can be applied to missions with similar requirements. Keywords: resonant orbit, stability, lunar flyby, phasing loops, trajectory optimization


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Trajectory Design for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite



    Conference:

    International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics ; 2014 ; Laurel, MD, United States


    Publication date :

    2014-05-05


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Trajectory Design for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

    Dichmann, Donald J. / Parker, Joel / Williams, Trevor et al. | NTRS | 2014


    Trajectory Design to Mitigate Risk for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

    Dichmann, Donald J. / Parker, Joel J. / Nickel, Craig et al. | AIAA | 2016


    Trajectory Design Enhancements to Mitigate Risk for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

    Dichmann, Donald / Parker, Joel / Nickel, Craig et al. | NTRS | 2016


    TRAJECTORY DESIGN ENHANCEMENTS TO MITIGATE RISK FOR THE TRANSITING EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE (TESS)

    Dichmann, Donald / Parker, Joel / Nickel, Craig et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2016