The Design and Development of COPERNICUS: A Comprehensive Trajectory Design and Optimization System
- Paper number
IAC-06-C1.4.04
- Author
Dr. Cesar Ocampo, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Juan Senent, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The NASA In Space Propulsion Program has sponsored the development of several trajectory optimization systems. One of these systems, developed at the University of Texas is called COPERNICUS. This paper discusses technical details associated with the design, development, and use of this comprehensive and generalized trajectory design system. The system is a GUI-based system capable of solving a wide range of trajectory design and optimization problems for planet or moon centered trajectories, libration point trajectories, Earth-Moon, or any Planet-Moon transfers, and all types of interplanetary and asteroid/comet missions. Impulsive and finite burn (low to high) thrust propulsion systems based on chemical, solar electric, or nuclear powered engines can be modeled. The theory, the algorithms, and numerical methods employed are also presented. Key to the system is the use of a unified architecture which allows the formulation and subsequent solution to many classes of problems of practical interest. Solutions for an example set of reference trajectory design problems are presented. COPERNICUS has been used on numerous NASA sponsored studies, including lunar mission design studies for the NASA’s new crew exploration vehicle (CEV). The system architecture attempts to consolidate almost all spacecraft trajectory design and optimization problems by using a single framework that requires solutions to either a system of nonlinear equations or a parameter optimization problem with equality and/or inequality constraints. The use of multiple reference frames that generally translate, rotate, and pulsate between two arbitrary celestial bodies facilitates the analysis of multiple gravity force field trajectories such as those associated with libration point missions, cycling trajectories between any set of celestial bodies, or any other type of trajectory or mission requiring the use of multiple celestial bodies. A basic trajectory building block, referred to as the basic segment, that can accommodate impulsive maneuvers, maneuver and non-maneuver based mass discontinuities, and finite burn or finite control acceleration maneuvers, is used to construct single or multiple spacecraft trajectories. The system architecture facilitates the modeling and optimization of a large range of problems ranging from single spacecraft trajectory design around a single celestial body to complex missions using multiple spacecraft, multiple propulsion systems, and operating in multiple celestial body force fields. comment to reviewer(s)): this paper is being sumbitted under: Astrodynamics/Optimizaiton. If necessary, it could also be considered in: D1. SPACE SYSTEMS D1.1. Innovative and Visionary Space Systems Concepts
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-C1.4.04.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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