Solar Radiation Pressure: Averaged Analysis

Abstract

Stating the same problem analyzed in the previous chapter as a perturbation problem allows us to introduce averaging to the dynamics of the system. In the following we show that the averaged dynamics of an orbiter subject to solar radiation pressure (SRP) and orbiting about a point mass can be solved in closed form with a very simple solution that still exhibits significantly complex behavior. Given this solution we are able to identify a set of stable “frozen orbits” that are suitable for spacecraft mission design and which enable a spacecraft to orbit about very small asteroids without the need for active control.