• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.195-204
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• 2010

The optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory considering spacecraft's visibility from the Daejeon ground station visibility at both the trans lunar injection (TLI) and lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuvers is designed. Both the TLI and LOI maneuvers are assumed to be impulsive thrust. As the successful execution of the TLI and LOI maneuvers are crucial factors among the various lunar mission parameters, it is necessary to design an optimal lunar transfer trajectory which guarantees the visibility from a specified ground station while executing these maneuvers. The optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory is simulated by modifying the Korean Lunar Mission Design Software using Impulsive high Thrust Engine (KLMDS-ITE) which is developed in previous studies. Four different mission scenarios are established and simulated to analyze the effects of the spacecraft's visibility considerations at the TLI and LOI maneuvers. As a result, it is found that the optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory, guaranteeing the spacecraft's visibility from Daejeon ground station at both the TLI and LOI maneuvers, can be designed with slight changes in total amount of delta-Vs. About 1% difference is observed with the optimal trajectory when none of the visibility condition is guaranteed, and about 0.04% with the visibility condition is only guaranteed at the time of TLI maneuver. The spacecraft's mass which can delivered to the Moon, when both visibility conditions are secured is shown to be about 534 kg with assumptions of KSLV-2's on-orbit mass about 2.6 tons. To minimize total mission delta-Vs, it is strongly recommended that visibility conditions at both the TLI and LOI maneuvers should be simultaneously implemented to the trajectory optimization algorithm.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.684-692
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• 2010

Based on the planar restricted three body problem formulation, optimized trajectories for the Earth-Moon transfer are obtained. Mixed impulsive and continuous thrust are assumed to be used, respectively, during the Earth departure and Earth-Moon transfer/Moon capture phases. The continuous, dynamic trajectory optimization problem is reformulated in the form of discrete optimization problem by using the method of direct transcription and collocation, and then is solved using the nonlinear programming software. Representative results show that the shape of optimized trajectory near the Earth departure and the Moon capture phases is dependent upon the relative weight between the impulsive and the continuous thrust.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.998-1011
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• 2010

For preparing Korean lunar missions, an Earth-Moon transfer trajectory is designed and analyzed using finite thrust. To be a more realistic scenario, kick motor's performance which is used for TLI (Trans Lunar Injection) maneuver is assumed to have a certain maximum capability. Under this assumption, optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory analysis is made from the beginning of Earth departure to the final lunar closest approach. As a results, optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory solutions with finite thrust are compared to those of designed with impulsive thrust in previous study. It is confirmed that if the trajectory solutions derived with impulsive burn is directly applied to estimate the finite burn trajectory solutions, careful consideration for finite burn losses must be paid as for TLI maneuver. Presented algorithm and various results will give numerous insights into the future Korea's Lunar missions using finite thrust engines.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.1021-1032
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• 2011

This paper presents the results of a parametric study for the design of optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory using mixed impulsive and continuous thrust. Various types of the optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectories were designed by adjusting the relative weight between the impulsive and the continuous thrust, and flight time. Two very different transfer trajectories can be obtained by different combination of design parameters. Furthermore, it was found that all thus designed trajectories permit the ballistic capture by the Moon gravity. Finally, the required thrust profiles are presented and analyzed in detail.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.68-77
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• 2018

In order to analyze the overall characteristics of the lunar orbiter, the Variable Coast method, which can be launched everyday, is applied to the 3.5 phasing loop transfer trajectory. The mission scenario for the entire process from launching to entering the lunar orbit is set up and performed simulation by selecting the launch pad and launch vehicle. In particular, the SEM(Satellite-Earth-Moon) angle defined in Earth-Moon rotating frame is an important constraint to comprehensively evaluate the 3.5 phasing loop transfer trajectory. The simulation using SEM angle is analyzed from various viewpoints such as launch epoch, coast duration, perigee altitude and ${\Delta}V$ not only trans-lunar trajectory but lunar orbit insertions and the optimum SEM angle is suggested in this study. It is expected that this results will be helpful to evaluate the characteristics of the 3.5 phasing loop transfer trajectory according to the launch vehicle selection by comparison with Fixed Coast analysis results in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2012

After lunar explorations were restarted in 1990s, the world space advanced countries have been competing actively to preoccupy the Moon from the 2000s. Korea has been also conducting precedent study on lunar exploration to carry out that by ourselves in 2020. This study analyzed delta-V of various Earth-Moon transfer trajectories for minimization of fuel consumption. Through the simulation, the best Earth-Moon transfer trajectory for Korean lunar mission is suggested and it will be used as useful materials of Korean lunar mission.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.171-186
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• 2009

Various Earth-Moon transfer trajectories are designed and analyzed to prepare the future Korea's Lunar missions. Minimum fuel trajectory solutions are obtained for the departure year of 2017, 2020, 2022, and every required mission phases are analyzed from Earth departure to the final lunar mission orbit. N-body equations of motion are formulated which include the gravitational effect of the Sun, Earth and Moon. In addition, accelerations due to geopotential harmonics, Lunar J2 and solar radiation pressures are considered. Impulsive high thrust is assumed as the main thrusting method of spacecraft with launcher capability of KSLV-2 which is planned to be developed. For the method of injecting a spacecraft into a trans Lunar trajectory, both direct shooting from circular parking orbit and shooting from the multiple elliptical intermediate orbits are adapted, and their design results are compared and analyzed. In addition, spacecraft's visibility from Deajeon ground station are constrained to see how they affect the magnitude of TLI(Trans Lunar Injection) maneuver. The results presented in this paper includes launch opportunities, required optimal maneuver characteristics for each mission phase as well as the trajectory characteristics and numerous related parameters. It is confirmed that the final mass of Korean lunar explorer strongly depends onto the initial parking orbit's altitude and launcher's capability, rather than mission start time.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.106-116
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• 2012

Optimal transfer trajectories based on the planar circular restricted three body problem are designed by using mixed impulsive and continuous thrust. Continuous and dynamic trajectory optimization is reformulated in the form of discrete optimization problem. This is done by the method of direct transcription and collocation. It is then solved by using nonlinear programming software. Two very different transfer trajectories can be obtained by the different combinations of the design parameters. Furthermore, it was found out that all designed trajectories permit a ballistic capture by the Moon's gravity. Finally, the required thrust profiles are presented and they are analyzed in detail.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.35-40
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• 2016

Mid-course correction maneuvers (MCCMs) are necessary to correct the launch-vehicle dispersion to go to the Moon. There were 3 or 4 MCCMs needed for a direct transfer trajectory. But the strategy for MCCMs of the phasing-loop trajectory is different, because it has a longer trans-lunar trajectory than direct transfer does. An orbiter using a phasing-loop trajectory has several rotations of the Earth, so the orbiter has several good places, such as perigee and apogee, to correct the launch-vehicle dispersion. Although launch dispersion is relatively high, the launch vehicle is not as accurate as we expected. A good MCCM strategy can overcome the high dispersion by using small-magnitude correction maneuvers. This paper describes the phasing-loops sequence and strategy to correct high launch-vehicle dispersions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.843-854
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• 2009

For preparing Korean lunar missions, optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory is designed using continuous low thrust. Using both constant and variable low thrusting method, "End-to-End" mission analysis is made from beginning of the Earth departure to the final lunar arrival. Spacecraft's equations of motion is expressed using N-body dynamics including the gravitational effects due to the Earth, Moon, Sun and also with Earth's $J_2$ effects. Planets' exact locations are computed accurately with JPL's DE405 ephemeris. As a results, optimal thrust steering angle's characteristics are discovered which showed almost tangential direction burns at the near of central planets. Also, it is confirmed that variable low thrusting method is more efficient than constant thrusting method, and can save about 5% of fuel consumption. Presented algorithm and various results will give numerous insights into the future Korea's Lunar missions using low thrust engines. Also, it is expected to be used as a basis of more detailed mission analyzing tool.