BI-ELLIPTIC TRANSFER WITH PLANE CHANGE [report]

H. L. Roth
1965 unpublished
This technical documentary report has been reviewed and is approved for publication and dissemination. The conclusions and findings contained herein do not necessarily represent an official Air Force position. William E. O'Brien Lt, USAF Project Officer •in-ABSTRACT By the calculations presented, the minimum total velocity increment required for bi-elliptic transfer between non-coplanar circular orbits is obtained. The maneuver considered is the following: A vehicle in circular orb't at
more » ... h. (radius r.) applies an impulsive velocity AV. at the line of nodes. The effect of the application of AV. causes a plane change of amount Q . and a transfer ellipse to a given transfer altitude h (radius r ) is established. When the vehicle reaches h , a second impulsive velocity change AV^ simultaneously changes the plane by amount a and initiates a transfer ellipse to the altitude h, (radius r,) of the target orbit. A last impulse AVchanges the plane by amount a., and circularizes the orbit at altitude h-, placing the vehicle in the final (target) circular orbit. Studies were made of the choice of plane change angles a., a ? , and a-" which minimizes AV_ = AV. + ^V 7 + AV, for given values of h., h , h-and total plane change angle 6 = a. + a? + a,. Several limiting relations were obtained for a" a?, and a-,; they are dependent on either the ratio r./r. alone, or the ratios rJr. and r./r" and are independent of 6.
doi:10.21236/ad0476156 fatcat:4fe3reqk5fcn3mlmxfnw3l2c2i