4th Body-Induced Secondary Resonance Overlapping Inside Unstable Resonant Orbit Families: a Jupiter-Ganymede 4:3 + Europa Case Study

TL;DR

This study investigates how secondary resonance overlaps in a multi-moon system significantly alter unstable resonant orbit structures, impacting low-energy space mission trajectory design.

Contribution

It demonstrates the importance of secondary resonance overlaps in multi-moon systems, extending the understanding beyond planar models to more complex 4-body scenarios.

Findings

Secondary resonances cause structural changes in unstable orbits.

Overlap of secondary resonances confirms a complete structural transformation.

Implications for low-TOF orbit transfer trajectory design.

Abstract

The overlapping of mean-motion resonances is useful for low or zero-propellant space mission design, but while most related prior work uses a planar CRTBP model, tours of multi-moon systems require using resonances affected by two moons. In this case study, we investigate Jupiter-Ganymede unstable 4:3 resonant orbits in a concentric circular restricted 4-body Jupiter-Europa-Ganymede model. We show that despite their high order, secondary resonances between the 4:3 orbits and Europa have a large effect, including 11/34, 12/37, 23/71, and 25/77. Computing newly generated objects inside the secondary resonances definitively confirms their overlap, which causes a complete structural change of the higher-energy unstable 4:3 orbits whose manifolds are most useful for low-TOF orbit transfers. We believe this phenomenon is general, with major implications for resonant orbit use in tour design.