'This is a book for specialists in orbital dynamics, authored by one of the leading current practitioners in the field. Its subtitle, 'Optimal Low-thrust Orbit Transfer' reflects one of the principal technical drivers behind the book, namely that an increasing number of satellites in Earth orbit are now using more fuel-efficient ion thrusters which have far lower thrust-levels than their chemically-propelled predecessors. As a consequence, there is an increasing need to optimise the longer trajectories - both in terms of time and distance travelled - that result from the use of this technology.' Stuart Eves, The Aeronautical Journal
Preface; 1. The fundamental classic analysis of Edelbaum, Sackett and Malchow, with additional detailed derivations and extensions; 2. The analysis of the six-element formulation; 3. Optimal low-thrust rendezvous using equinoctial orbit elements; 4. Optimal low-thrust transfer using variable bounded thrust; 5. Minimum-time low-thrust rendezvous and transfer using epoch mean longitude formulation; 6. Trajectory optimization using eccentric longitude formulation; 7. Low-thrust trajectory optimization based on epoch eccentric longitude formulation; 8. Mechanics of trajectory optimization using nonsingular variational equations in polar coordinates; 9. Trajectory optimization using nonsingular orbital elements and true longitude; 10. The treatment of the Earth oblateness effect in trajectory optimization in equinoctial coordinates; 11. Minimum-time constant acceleration orbit transfer with first-order oblateness effect; 12. The streamlined and complete set of the nonsingular J2-perturbed dynamic and adjoint equations for trajectory optimization in terms of eccentric longitude; 13. The inclusion of the higher order harmonics in the modeling of optimal low-thrust orbit transfer; 14. Analytic expansions of luni-solar gravity perturbations along rotating axes for trajectory optimization: part 1: the dynamic system; 15. Analytic expansions of luni-solar gravity perturbations along rotating axes for trajectory optimization: part 2: the multipliers system and simulations; 16. Fourth order expansions of the luni-solar gravity perturbations along rotating axes for trajectory optimization; Index.