GTOC8: Results and Methods of ESA Advanced Concepts Team and JAXA-ISAS

TL;DR

This paper presents the winning interplanetary trajectory design for the GTOC8 competition, introducing novel algorithms for Moon targeting, fly-by design, and low-thrust control, demonstrating advanced methods in space mission optimization.

Contribution

The paper introduces new algorithms for interplanetary trajectory design, including Moon targeting, resonant fly-bys, and low-thrust control, with broad applicability beyond the specific competition problem.

Findings

Achieved 1st place in GTOC8 with a mission value of 146.33 million km

Developed new algorithms for Moon targeting and fly-by design

Demonstrated effective low-thrust formation plane control

Abstract

We consider the interplanetary trajectory design problem posed by the 8th edition of the Global Trajectory Optimization Competition and present the end-to-end strategy developed by the team ACT-ISAS (a collaboration between the European Space Agency's Advanced Concepts Team and JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science). The resulting interplanetary trajectory won 1st place in the competition, achieving a final mission value of $J=146.33$ [Mkm]. Several new algorithms were developed in this context but have an interest that go beyond the particular problem considered, thus, they are discussed in some detail. These include the Moon-targeting technique, allowing one to target a Moon encounter from a low Earth orbit; the 1-$k$ and 2-$k$ fly-by targeting techniques, enabling one to design resonant fly-bys while ensuring a targeted future formation plane% is acquired at some point after the manoeuvre ; the distributed low-thrust targeting technique, admitting one to control the spacecraft formation plane at 1,000,000 [km]; and the low-thrust optimization technique, permitting one to enforce the formation plane's orientations as path constraints.