On the Use of Fixed Attitude Propulsive Arcs for Transfer Between Neighboring Coplanar Keplerian Orbits

Citation

Wiley, Robert Freeland (1973) On the Use of Fixed Attitude Propulsive Arcs for Transfer Between Neighboring Coplanar Keplerian Orbits. Engineer's thesis, California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/456S-YS44. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:09232010-115331989

Abstract

The question of whether or not a coplanar, fixed attitude, constant acceleration burn in a central force field can result in a post-burn orbit that does not intersect the pre-burn orbit was investigated for small changes in the orbit. This was done by developing a criterion for separation between coplanar elliptical orbits, solving the linearized equations of motion given in reference 1 for a coplanar, fixed attitude, constant acceleration burn, and evaluating the criterion. Regions in which an initial alignment of the acceleration vector may be chosen to result in orbital separation at some point in the burn and the alignments of the acceleration vector to do this were found numerically. However, it appears that the distances between the separated orbits and the time over which the orbits separate for a particular alignment are too small to make the phenomenon of much practical use for small orbital changes.

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