Plenary Lecture
Estimating Fuel Consumption for Station-Keeping in the Moons of the Solar System
Professor Antonio Fernando Bertachini de Almeida Prado
Space Dynamics and Control Division
National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
Brazil
E-mail: prado@dem.inpe.br
Abstract: The present research uses a new idea to map the space around celestial bodies as far as perturbations are considered. In particular, this idea can be used to estimate the fuel consumption in maneuvers of station keeping around celestial bodies. The main point is based in the integral over the time of the perturbing forces. This quantity is a measurement of the total effect of the perturbations received by the spacecraft, which would be the variation of velocity that an engine should deliver to keep the orbit of the spacecraft Keplerian all the time. This integral is a characteristic of the trajectory of the spacecraft and the perturbations considered. It is not related to the type of engine and control technique used for the real station keeping maneuver. The principle used to make this calculation is that, when this quantity becomes larger, more maneuvers are required to compensate the perturbations and so more consumption of fuel is required. This idea can be applied to any dynamical system. In the present paper, as an example, the third body perturbation is considered. Numerical simulations considering the effects of the Sun and the main planet in orbits around several moons of the Solar System are considered.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: Dr. Antonio Fernando Bertachini de Almeida Prado has 25 years of experience in research and educational activities in the aerospace field. He has published more than 100 papers in journals and scientific events around the world and has more than 1000 citations in the scholar google. He obtained five academic degrees: Ph.D. (1993) and Master (1991) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin (USA), Master in Space Science/Orbital Mechanics (1989) from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in Brazil, BA in Physics (1986) and Chemical Engineering (1985) from São Paulo University in Brazil.
He is currently President of the Board of the Graduate School at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in Brazil, position that he has since December 2008. He is also professor at the same institute, where he has participated in over 50 classes in more than 15 different subjects related to Astrodynamics, Celestial Mechanics and Control of Spacecrafts for seven years.