Dynamics, Stability and Control of Highly Non-Keplerian Orbits

申请人设计和开发的高度非开普勒轨道族是最近太阳帆技术发展的主要推动力。这些新的轨道家族为太阳能航行提供了一系列引人注目的近期应用，并导致了欧洲和美国技术的快速发展。本项目将聘用一名博士后研究助理，为期3年，利用现代动力系统理论的方法，对低推力推进系统航天器的高度非开普勒轨道进行系统分析。预计这一分析将揭示太阳帆和太阳能电力推进的新轨道家族，再次具有令人兴奋的新实际应用。英国在低推力推进方面有很强的工业兴趣，这将最终通过这个基础的、好奇心驱动的研究项目得到加强。

Families of highly non-Keplerian orbits devised and developed by the applicant have been a principal driver in the recent development of solar sail technology. These new families of novel orbits provide a range of compelling near-term applications for solar sailing and have led to rapid advancement of the technology in Europe and the US. This project will employ a single postdoctoral research assistant for 3 years to conduct a systematic analysis of highly non-Keplerian orbits for spacecraft with low thrust propulsion systems using the methods of modern dynamical systems theory. It is expected that this analysis will uncover new families of orbits for solar sails and solar electric propulsion, again with exciting new practical applications. The UK has a strong industrial interest in low thrust propulsion which will ultimately be strengthened by this programme of fundamental, curiosity-driven research.