Rendezvous maneuvers using genetic algorithm

Resumo

The goal of the present paper is to study orbital coplanar maneuvers between circular orbits. The control available to perform this maneuver is the application of several impulses. The solutions has searched that minimize the total variation of velocity that has to be used to implement the impulses calculated by the algorithms. The transfer time has obtained, but it isn’t considered as an optimization parameter. A genetic algorithm is used to solve the problem, combined with the Lambert´s Problem associated with those transfers. With the goal of making comparisons, a numerical algorithm has developed to solve the same transfers, but considering a low thrust maneuver. A propulsion system provides large savings in consumption, but with an expense of longer maneuvers.