Robust Spacecraft Low-Thrust Trajectory Design: A Chance-Constrained Covariance-Steering Approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces a covariance-steering method for designing robust low-thrust spacecraft trajectories that accounts for mass change and stochastic disturbances, improving realism and risk management in interplanetary missions.

Contribution

It presents a novel covariance variable formulation that efficiently incorporates spacecraft mass change and stochastic disturbances into trajectory planning.

Findings

More realistic trajectories by tracking mass change

Enhanced robustness against stochastic disturbances

Application to Earth-Mars interplanetary flights

Abstract

This paper proposes a systematic method for generating practical and robust low-thrust spacecraft trajectories. One contribution is to consider the change in mass of the spacecraft at two levels: a) the propulsive acceleration and b) the intensity of the stochastic disturbances. A covariance variable formulation is considered, which is computationally more efficient than the factorized covariance implementation. The proposed approach is applied to two- (i.e., planar) and three-dimensional heliocentric phases of spacecraft flight from Earth to Mars under the restricted two-body dynamics. The results highlight the importance of keeping track of mass change to generate more realistic, robust trajectories for interplanetary space missions to avoid underestimation of mission risks.