http://arxiv.org/abs/2004.04708
This contribution investigates the properties of a category of orbits around Enceladus. The motivation is the interest in the in situ exploration of this moon following the detection on behalf of Cassini of plumes of water and organic compounds close to its south pole. In a previous investigation, a set of heteroclinic transfers were designed between Halo orbits around the equilibrium points L1 and L2 of the circular restricted three-body problem with Saturn and Enceladus as primaries. The kinematical and geometrical characteristics of those trajectories makes them good candidates as science orbits for the extended observation of the surface of Enceladus: they are highly inclined, they approach the moon and they are maneuver free. However, the low heights above the surface and the strong perturbing effect of Saturn impose a more careful look at their dynamics, in particular regarding the influence of the polar flattening of the primaries. Therefore, those solutions are here reconsidered by employing a dynamical model that includes the effect of the oblateness of Saturn and Enceladus, individually and in combination. Substitutes of the Halo orbits around the equilibrium points L1 and L2 and their stable and unstable hyperbolic invariant manifolds are obtained in the perturbed models, and maneuver-free heteroclinic transfers are identified in the new framework. A systematic comparison with the corresponding solutions of the unperturbed problem shows that qualitative and quantitative features are not significantly altered when the oblateness of the primaries is taken into account, and that J2 of Saturn plays a larger role than the oblateness of Enceladus. From a mission perspective, the results confirm the scientific value of the solutions obtained in the classical circular restricted three-body problem and suggests that this simpler model can be used in a preliminary feasibility analysis.
F. Salazar, A. Alkhaja, E. Fantino, et. al.
Fri, 10 Apr 20
47/56
Comments: N/A