Multiple free-return circumlunar cycler orbits were designed to allow regular travel between the Earth and Moon by a manned space station. The presented cycler orbits contain circumlunar free-return "figure-8" segments and yield lunar encounters every month. Smaller space "taxi" vehicles can rendezvous with (and depart from) the cycling Earth-Moon space station to enter lunar orbit (and/or land on the lunar surface), return to Earth, or reach destinations including Earth-Moon L1 and L2 halo orbits, near-Earth objects (NEOs), Venus, and Mars. To assess the practicality of the selected orbits, relevant cycler characteristics (including (Delta)V maintenance requirements) are presented and compared.


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    Title :

    Circumlunar Free-Return Cycler Orbits for a Manned Earth-Moon Space Station


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference ; 2015 ; Vail, CO, United States


    Publication date :

    2015-08-09


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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