A PEER-TO-PEER REFUELING STRATEGY USING LOW-THRUST PROPULSION

The problem of minimum-fuel, time-fixed, low-thrust rendezvous is addressed with the particular aim of developing a solver to determine optimal low-thrust Peer-to-Peer (P2P) maneuvers, which will be an integral part of distributed low-thrust servicing missions for multiple satellites. We develop the solver based on an indirect optimization technique and utilize the well-known shooting method to solve the two-point boundary value problems associated with the forward and re-turn trips of a P2P maneuver. We finally demonstrate the application of the tool in determination of the optimal P2P maneuvers required for a low-thrust P2P mission for multiple satellites moving in a circular orbit. The development of this solver is a first step in the direction of studying low-thrust servicing missions for multiple satellites in circular constellations