Optimal K/S impulsive transfer

Abstract

The necessary equations in K/S variables (E-formulation) are developed for an optimal N-impulse solution of the time-open and rendezvous problems. The equations are particularly simple when only two impulses are assumed. The developed algorithm is extremely fast and reliable because the equations that must be solved are smooth, well-behaved (almost sinusoidal) functions. Numerical results for a two-impulse time-open and rendezvous problem are presented.