Mini-workshop on Global Trajectory Optimisation
ESTEC, 10 September, 2007

The ACT organises a one day workshop on global optimisation of spacecraft trajectory design.

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The Advanced Concepts Team is organizing a mini-workshop on global trajectory optimisation which will take place at ESTEC on the 10th of September, 2007.

Background

Global trajectory optimisation is one of the most active research field where the ACT is involved. One of the most important results obtained so far is that the Multiple Gravity Assists problem has polynomial complexity when properly pruned; so it is possible to build a very efficient algorithm to solve this particular problem. If we were able to prove that the problem of multiple gravity assist with deep space manoeuvres (MGADSM) may also be pruned as efficiently in polynomial time, the reward would be enormous. Not only, in fact, we could use such an algorithm to quickly find optimal trajectories for chemically propelled spacecrafts, but we would also have a way to select optimal fly-by sequences for an electrically propelled spacecraft by assuming that we can later spread the impulsive velocity change into a low-thrust arc. The current Ariadna research "Global Trajectory Optimisation: Can We Prune the Solution Space when Considering Deep Space Manoeuvres?" is performed in parallel in collaboration with three universities. The final presentations of these studies constitutes the main part of the programme of this workshop.

Date and Place

Final Agenda

10:00-10:10 Opening (Leopold Summerer , ESA-ACT)

10:10 - 11:00 Global Trajectory Optimisation projects in the ACT (Dario Izzo, Tamas Vinko and Claudio Bombardelli, ESA-ACT) (download the presentation)

11:00 - 12:00 "Global Trajectory Optimisation: Can We Prune the Solution Space when Considering Deep Space Manoeuvres? Ariadna Final Presentation, Politecnico di Milano and Michigan State University (download the presentation)

12:00 - 13:00 "Global Trajectory Optimisation: Can We Prune the Solution Space when Considering Deep Space Manoeuvres? Ariadna Final Presentation, Ecole des Mines de Paris (download the presentation)

13:00 - 14:30 Lunch break

14:30 - 15:30 "Global Trajectory Optimisation: Can We Prune the Solution Space when Considering Deep Space Manoeuvres? Ariadna Final Presentation, University of Glasgow and University of Reading (download the presentation)

15:30 - 16:00 An extension of GASP to DSM trajectories, (Adam Zalcman, Jagiellonian University, Poland)

16:00 - 16:20 ESOC plans on global trajectory optimisation (Johannes Schoenmaekers, OPS-GFA)

16:20 - 17:00 Technical discussion and wrap-up