Orbit design concepts for Jupiter orbiter missions

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Orbit design concepts for Jupiter orbiter missions

Uphoff, C. / Roberts, P. H. / Friedman, L. D.

Advanced mission and orbit planning efforts are currently in progress for a Mariner-class Jupiter orbiter. Baseline spacecraft and orbit design criteria are the goals of a NASA effort to define such a mission. Orbit design concepts that have been discovered during the early stages of mission planning are both challenging and exciting. A description is given of several such concepts that may greatly increase the flexibility and scientific return of orbiters designed for close study of the Galilean satellites and exploration of the Jovian system. Some new jargon is introduced in discussions to describe the exploitation of gravity-assist trajectories using the giant satellites for orbit control. Orbit 'pumping' and 'cranking' and 'resonance hopping' are defined and shown to be dynamically feasible means of controlling the orbit and, thus, the scientific return. A candidate encounter sequence is presented for an equatorial tour of the Galilean moons.