Keywords

Astrodynamics, CR3BP, NRHO, DRO, Butterfly, Periodic

Abstract

Ever since NASA announced the Artemis program in 2019, the cislunar space, a region between Earth and the Moon, has attracted substantial research interest. Nonetheless, understanding the complex multipart physics that guides our solar system is not a new area of interest. The ThreeBody Problem was first formulated by Lagrange in ”Essai sur le Probleme des Trois Corps” in 1772 and had additional refinements done by mathematicians like Poincare. However, it was not until NASA’s Apollo program that the cislunar space gained traction, and the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP) model became more prominent. By deriving and explaining the necessary foundations for the CR3BP dynamics in a condensed and optimized manner, this research aims to assist individuals newly introduced to the field in understanding this complex topic. It will be examined how the location, geometry, and period of an orbit are valuable parameters that can significantly decrease the fuel costs, transfer orbits time, and better communication with a desired location – Earth, Moon, or even Mars. Significant family and group of orbits, like the Distant Retrograde Orbits (DROs), Butterfly Orbits, and Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs), will be overviewed and analyzed based on their location, geometry, and period. All results gathered are validated by comparing the orbit’s Jacobi constant, period, and geometry with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) website data.

Thesis Completion Year

2025

Thesis Completion Semester

Summer

Thesis Chair

Elgohary, Tarek

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Thesis Discipline

Astrodynamics

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Included in

Astrodynamics Commons

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Rights Statement

In Copyright