Techniques of Astrodynamics

Abstract

We now consider techniques used in the study of the controlled flight paths of human-made vehicles, beginning with algorithms for propagating the spacecraft’s trajectory and then defining Keplerian parameters, which describe the orbit’s size, shape, and orientation. Lambert’s Problem is used to generate mission design curves, called “pork chop plots.” Other models advance our study to treat n bodies and distributed masses instead of just two point masses. Lastly, we consider how to measure time, which is fundamental to the equations of motion.