Low thrust transfers to space debris object neighborhood

The problem of spacecraft transferring to the vicinity of space debris object in close low-eccentricity non-coplanar orbits is considered. The transfer period is divided into two intervals. Each interval can contain up to several dozens of revolutions. It is assumed that the total duration of intervals is sufficient for correction deviations of all orbital elements including along-The-Track deviation. Numerical-Analytical algorithm for solving the rendezvous problem is offered, that allows determining the parameters of dozens of linked maneuvers and taking into account all the perturbations acting on the spacecraft (the influence of the atmosphere, the non-centrality of the gravitational field, etc.). The core of the algorithm is the analytical solution of impulse transfer (in five-dimensional space of deviations) between close low-eccentricity orbits. A distinguishing feature of proposed method is the using of simultaneous correction of all orbit elements, which allows obtaining close-To-optimal solutions for a wide range of deviations, while an analytical core allows to simplify and speed up solution search processes and to achieve high reliability of the proposed algorithm. This allows use the developed algorithm on the board of the debris collector spacecraft. The example of the solution of the problem is given. © 2017 Univelt Inc. All rights reserved.