Under NASA funding, Global Aerospace
Corporation (GAC) together with the University
of Missouri – Columbia (UMC) has begun the
development of a comprehensive mission design
and trajectory optimization tool for continuous
thrust missions. This new tool will be computer
platform independent and coded in an object-oriented
language to make it versatile, extensible and
capable of being used for design of a vast number
of possible space missions, including orbital
and interplanetary transfers. It will be user
friendly with many input selections, including
power and propulsion options. Gravitational and
non-gravitational models will be selectable by
the user, and applied to trajectory calculations
as needed. Analytical solutions will be provided
for initial guess requirements, and optimization
methods used to size spacecraft systems, select
flight times, and generate thrust steering profiles.
Specific innovations and features include:
- Operates in complex gravity models,
- Automatically and seamlessly handles multi-body
transitions,
- Supports solar and nuclear electric, electrodynamic
tether, solar sail and hybrid propulsion options,
- Includes non-gravitational force models such
as solar pressure or atmospheric drag,
- Models solar occultation periods appropriately
and automatically,
- Calculates radiation dosage from trapped
radiation belts,
- Optimizes static and dynamic variables using
a gradient-based algorithm to size spacecraft
systems, and to select flight times and thrust-steering
profiles,
- Uses analytical solutions to generate a good
initial guess for the optimization method, and
- Written in an object-oriented language to
facilitate the development of an extensible
architecture and promote platform independence.
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