Dynamics and Mission Design Near Libration Points: Volume II: Fundamentals: The Case of Triangular Libration Points
About this ebook
According to the literature, what has been done in the problem follows two approaches: (a) numerical simulations of more or less accurate models of the real solar system; (b) study of periodic or quasi-periodic orbits of some much simpler problem.
The concrete questions that are studied in this volume are: (a) Is there some orbit of the real solar system which looks like the periodic orbits of the second approach? (That is, are there orbits performing revolutions around L4 covering eventually a thick strip? Furthermore, it would be good if those orbits turn out to be quasi-periodic. However, there is no guarantee that such orbits exist or will be quasi-periodic). (b) If the orbit of (a) exists and two particles (spacecraft) are put close to it, how do the mutual distance and orientation change with time?
As a final conclusion of the work, there is evidence that orbits moving in a somewhat big annulus around L4 and L5 exist, that these orbits have small components out of the plane of the Earth–Moon system, and that they are at most mildly unstable.
