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Motivated by the practical interest in the third-body perturbation as a natural cleaning mechanism for high-altitude Earth orbits, we investigate the dynamics stemming from the secular Hamiltonian associated with the lunar perturbation, assuming that the Moon lies on the ecliptic plane. The secular Hamiltonian defined in that way is characterized by two timescales. We compare the location and stability of the fixed points associated with the secular Hamiltonian averaged with respect to the fast variable with the corresponding periodic orbits of the full system. Focusing on the orbit of the Galileo satellites, it turns out that the two dynamics cannot be confused, as the relative difference depends on the ratio between the semi-major axis of Galileo and the one of the Moon, that is not negligible. The result is relevant to construct rigorously the Arnold diffusion mechanism that can drive a natural growth in eccentricity that allows a satellite initially on a circular orbit in Medium Earth Orbit to reenter into the Earth's atmosphere., Comment: 70 pages

Space debris mitigation guidelines represent the most effective method to preserve the circumterrestrial environment. Among them, end-of-life disposal solutions play a key role. A growing effort is devoted to exploit natural perturbations to lead the satellites towards an atmospheric reentry, reducing the disposal cost, also if departing from high-altitude regions. In the case of the Medium Earth Orbit region, home of the navigation satellites (like Galileo), the main driver is the gravitational perturbation due to the Moon, that can increase the eccentricity in the long term. In this way, the pericenter altitude can get into the atmospheric drag domain and the satellite can eventually reenter. In this work, we show how an Arnold diffusion mechanism can trigger the eccentricity growth. Focusing on the case of Galileo, we consider a hierarchy of Hamiltonian models, assuming that the main perturbations on the motion of the spacecraft are the oblateness of the Earth and the gravitational attraction of the Moon. First, the Moon is assumed to lay on the ecliptic plane and periodic orbits and associated stable and unstable invariant manifolds are computed for various energy levels, in the neighborhood of a given resonance. Along each invariant manifold, the eccentricity increases naturally, achieving its maximum at the first intersection between them. This growth is, however, not sufficient to achieve reentry. By moving to a model where the inclination of the Moon is taken into account, the problem becomes non-autonomous and the satellite is able to move along different energy levels. Under the ansatz of transversality of the manifolds in the autonomous case, checked numerically, Poincar\'e-Melnikov techniques are applied to show how diffusion can be attained, by constructing a sequence of homoclinic orbits that connect invariant tori at different energy levels., Comment: 55 pages

In this work, we explore how to classify asteroids in co-orbital motion with a given planet using Machine Learning. We consider four different kinds of motion in mean motion resonance with the planet, nominally Tadpole, Horseshoe and Quasi-satellite, building 3 datasets defined as Real (taking the ephemerides of real asteroids from the JPL Horizons system), Ideal and Perturbed (both simulated, obtained by propagating initial conditions considering two different dynamical systems) for training and testing the Machine Learning algorithms in different conditions. The time series of the variable theta (angle related to the resonance) are studied with a data analysis pipeline defined ad hoc for the problem and composed by: data creation and annotation, time series features extraction thanks to the tsfresh package (potentially followed by selection and standardization) and the application of Machine Learning algorithms for Dimensionality Reduction and Classification. Such approach, based on features extracted from the time series, allows to work with a smaller number of data with respect to Deep Learning algorithms, also allowing to define a ranking of the importance of the features. Physical Interpretability of the features is another key point of this approach. In addition, we introduce the SHapley Additive exPlanations for Explainability technique. Different training and test sets are used, in order to understand the power and the limits of our approach. The results show how the algorithms are able to identify and classify correctly the time series, with a high degree of performance.

We present a trajectory concept for a small mission to the four inner large satellites of Saturn. Leveraging the high efficiency of electric propulsion, the concept enables orbit insertion around each of the moons, for arbitrarily long close observation periods. The mission starts with a EVVES interplanetary segment, where a combination of multiple gravity assists and deep space low thrust enables reduced relative arrival velocity at Saturn, followed by an unpowered capture via a sequence of resonant flybys with Titan. The transfers between moons use a low-thrust control law that connects unstable and stable branches of the invariant manifolds of planar Lyapunov orbits from the circular restricted three-body problem of each moon and Saturn. The exploration of the moons relies on homoclinic and heteroclinic connections of the Lyapunov orbits around the L$_1$ and L$_2$ equilibrium points. These science orbits can be extended for arbitrary lengths of time with negligible propellant usage. The strategy enables a comprehensive scientific exploration of the inner large moons, located deep inside the gravitational well of Saturn, which is unfeasible with conventional impulsive maneuvers due to excessive fuel consumption.

The focus of this work is the current distribution of asteroids in co-orbital motion with Venus, Earth and Jupiter, under a quasi-coplanar configuration and for a medium-term timescale of the order of 900 years. A co-orbital trajectory is a heliocentric orbit trapped in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with a given planet. As such, to model it this work considers the Restricted Three-Body Problem in the circular-planar case with the help of averaging techniques. The domain of each co-orbital regime, that is, the quasi-satellite motion, the horseshoe motion and the tadpole motion, can be neatly defined by means of an integrable model and a simple bi-dimensional map, that is invariant with respect to the mass parameter of the planet, and turns out to be a remarkable tool to investigate the distribution of the co-orbitals objects of interest. The study is based on the data corresponding to the ephemerides computed by the JPL Horizons system for asteroids with a sufficient low orbital inclination with respect to the Sun-planet orbital plane. These objects are cataloged according to their current dynamics, together with the transitions that occur in the given time frame from a given type of co-orbital motion to another. The results provide a general catalog of co-orbital asteroids in the solar system, the first one to our knowledge, and an efficient mean to study transitions.

A classical approach to the restricted three-body problem is to analyze the dynamics of the massless body in the synodic reference frame. A different approach is represented by the perturbative treatment: in particular the averaged problem of a mean-motion resonance allows to investigate the long-term behavior of the solutions through a suitable approximation that focuses on a particular region of the phase space. In this paper, we intend to bridge a gap between the two approaches in the specific case of mean-motion resonant dynamics, establish the limit of validity of the averaged problem, and take advantage of its results in order to compute trajectories in the synodic reference frame. After the description of each approach, we develop a rigorous treatment of the averaging process, estimate the size of the transformation and prove that the averaged problem is a suitable approximation of the restricted three-body problem as long as the solutions are located outside the Hill's sphere of the secondary. In such a case, a rigorous theorem of stability over finite but large timescales can be proven. We establish that a solution of the averaged problem provides an accurate approximation of the trajectories on the synodic reference frame within a finite time that depend on the minimal distance to the Hill's sphere of the secondary. The last part of this work is devoted to the co-orbital motion (i.e., the dynamics in 1:1 mean-motion resonance) in the circular-planar case. In this case, an interpretation of the solutions of the averaged problem in the synodic reference frame is detailed and a method that allows to compute co-orbital trajectories is displayed., Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, 1 table

We describe the phase space structures related to the semi-major axis of Molniya-like satellites subject to tesseral and lunisolar resonances. In particular, the questions answered in this contribution are: (i) we study the indirect interplay of the critical inclination resonance on the semi-geosynchronous resonance using a hierarchy of more realistic dynamical systems, thus discussing the dynamics beyond the integrable approximation. By introducing ad hoc tractable models averaged over fast angles, (ii) we numerically demarcate the hyperbolic structures organising the long-term dynamics via Fast Lyapunov Indicators cartography. Based on the publicly available two-line elements space orbital data, (iii) we identify two satellites, namely Molniya 1-69 and Molniya 1-87, displaying fingerprints consistent with the dynamics associated to the hyperbolic set. Finally, (iv) the computations of their associated dynamical maps highlight that the spacecraft are trapped within the hyperbolic tangle. This research therefore reports evidence of actual artificial satellites in the near-Earth environment whose dynamics are ruled by manifolds and resonant mechanisms. The tools, formalism and methodologies we present are exportable to other region of space subject to similar commensurabilities as the geosynchronous region., Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures. Comments and feedback appreciated

The aim of this work is to investigate the lunisolar perturbations affecting the long-term dynamics of a Molniya satellite. Some numerical experiments on the doubly-averaged model, including the expansion of the lunisolar disturbing functions up to the third order, are carried out in order to detect the terms dominating the long-term evolution. The analysis focuses on the following significant indicators: the amplitude of the harmonic coefficients, the periods of the arguments involved and, in particular, the ratio between the amplitudes and the corresponding frequency. The results show that the second-order lunisolar perturbation gives the dominant contribution to the long-term dynamics. The second part of this work aims to study the resonant regions associated to the dominant terms identified so far by using both the ideal resonance model and an alternative approach. The results obtained show when the standard method does not catch the main features of the dynamical structure of the resonant regions. Finally, the maximum overlapping region is identified in the proximity of the Molniya orbital environment.

Recent works demonstrated that the dynamics caused by the planetary oblateness coupled with the solar radiation pressure can be described through a model based on singly-averaged equations of motion. The coupled perturbations affect the evolution of the eccentricity, inclination and orientation of the orbit with respect to the Sun--Earth line. Resonant interactions lead to non-trivial orbital evolution that can be exploited in mission design. Moreover, the dynamics in the vicinity of each resonance can be analytically described by a resonant model that provides the location of the central and hyperbolic invariant manifolds which drive the phase space evolution. The classical tools of the dynamical systems theory can be applied to perform a preliminary mission analysis for practical applications. On this basis, in this work we provide a detailed derivation of the resonant dynamics, also in non-singular variables, and discuss its properties, by studying the main bifurcation phenomena associated to each resonance. Last, the analytical model will provide a simple analytical expression to obtain the area-to-mass ratio required for a satellite to deorbit from a given altitude in a feasible timescale.

The aim of this work is to analyze the orbital evolution of the mean eccentricity given by the Two-Line Elements (TLE) set of the Molniya satellites constellation. The approach is bottom-up, aiming at a synergy between the observed dynamics and the mathematical modeling. Being the focus the long-term evolution of the eccentricity, the dynamical model adopted is a doubly-averaged formulation of the third-body perturbation due to Sun and Moon, coupled with the oblateness effect on the orientation of the satellite. The numerical evolution of the eccentricity, obtained by a two-degree-of-freedom model assuming different orders in the series expansion of the third-body effect, is compared against the mean evolution given by the TLE. The results show that, despite being highly elliptical orbits, the second order expansion catches extremely well the behavior. Also, the lunisolar effect turns out to be non-negligible for the behavior of the longitude of the ascending node and the argument of pericenter. The role of chaos in the timespan considered is also addressed. Finally, a frequency series analysis is proposed to show the main contributions that can be detected from the observational data.

This contribution investigates the properties of a category of orbits around Enceladus. In a previous investigation, a set of heteroclinic connections were designed between halo orbits around the equilibrium points L1 and L2 of the circular restricted three-body problem with Saturn and Enceladus as primaries. The geometrical characteristics of those trajectories makes them good candidates as science orbits for the extended observation of the surface of Enceladus: they are highly inclined, they approach the moon and they are maneuver-free. However, the low heights above the surface and the strong perturbing effect of Saturn require a study of the influence of the polar flattening of the primaries. Therefore, those solutions are here reconsidered with a dynamical model that includes the effect of the oblateness of Saturn and Enceladus, separately and in combination. The dynamical equivalents of the halo orbits around the equilibrium points L1 and L2 and their stable and unstable hyperbolic invariant manifolds are obtained in the perturbed models, and maneuver-free heteroclinic connections are identified. A comparison with the corresponding solutions of the unperturbed problem shows that qualitative and quantitative features are not significantly altered in the perturbed model. The results confirm the scientific value of the solutions obtained in the classical circular restricted three-body problem and suggests that the simpler model can be used in a preliminary feasibility analysis.

The aim of this work is to provide an analytical model to characterize the equilibrium points and the phase space associated with the singly-averaged dynamics caused by the planetary oblateness coupled with the solar radiation pressure perturbations. A two-dimensional differential system is derived by considering the classical theory, supported by the existence of an integral of motion comprising semi-major axis, eccentricity and inclination. Under the single resonance hypothesis, the analytical expressions for the equilibrium points in the eccentricity-resonant angle space are provided, together with the corresponding linear stability. The Hamiltonian formulation is also given. The model is applied considering, as example, the Earth as major oblate body, and a simple tool to visualize the structure of the phase space is presented. Finally, some considerations on the possible use and development of the proposed model are drawn.

In this work we deepen and complement the analysis on the dynamics of Low Earth Orbits (LEO), carried out by the authors within the H2020 ReDSHIFT project, by characterising the evolution of the eccentricity of a large set of orbits in terms of the main frequency components. Decomposing the quasi-periodic time series of eccentricity of a given orbit by means of a numerical computation of Fourier transform, we link each frequency signature to the dynamical perturbation which originated it in order to build a frequency chart of the LEO region. We analyse and compare the effects on the eccentricity due to solar radiation pressure, lunisolar perturbations and high degree zonal harmonics of the geopotential both in the time and frequency domains. In particular, we identify the frequency signatures due to the dynamical resonances found in LEO and we discuss the opportunity to exploit the corresponding growth of eccentricity in order to outline decommissioning strategies., Comment: 30 pages, 31 figures

We present the main findings of a dynamical mapping performed in the Low Earth Orbit region. The results were obtained by propagating an extended grid of initial conditions, considering two different epochs and area-to-mass ratios, by means of a singly averaged numerical propagator. It turns out that dynamical resonances associated with high-degree geopotential harmonics, lunisolar perturbations and solar radiation pressure can open natural deorbiting highways. For area-to-mass ratios typical of the orbiting intact objects, these corridors can be exploited only in combination with the action exerted by the atmospheric drag. For satellites equipped with an area augmentation device, we show the boundary of application of the drag, and where the solar radiation pressure can be exploited.

As part of the dynamical analysis carried out within the Horizon 2020 ReDSHIFT project, this work analyzes the possible strategies to guide low altitude satellites towards an atmospheric reentry through an impulsive maneuver. We consider a fine grid of initial conditions in semi-major axis, eccentricity and inclination and we identify the orbits that can be compliant with the 25-year rule as the target of a single-burn strategy. Besides the atmospheric drag, we look for the aid provided by other dynamical perturbations - mainly solar radiation pressure - to facilitate a reentry. Indeed, in the case of typical area-to-mass ratios for objects in LEO, we observed that dynamical resonances can be considered only in combination with the atmospheric drag and for a very limited set of initial orbits. Instead, if an area augmentation device, as a solar sail, is available on-board the spacecraft, we verified that a wider range of disposal solutions become available. This information is exploited to design an improved mitigation scheme, that can be applied to any satellite in LEO., Comment: 26 pages

Recent studies have shown that the medium-Earth orbit (MEO) region of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems is permeated by a devious network of lunisolar secular resonances, which can interact to produce chaotic and diffusive motions. The precarious state of the four navigation constellations, perched on the threshold of instability, makes it understandable why all past efforts to define stable graveyard orbits, especially in the case of Galileo, were bound to fail; the region is far too complex to allow of an adoption of the simple geosynchronous disposal strategy. We retrace one such recent attempt, funded by ESA's General Studies Programme in the frame of the GreenOPS initiative, that uses a systematic parametric approach and the straightforward maximum-eccentricity method to identify long-term stable regions, suitable for graveyards, as well as large-scale excursions in eccentricity, which can be used for post-mission deorbiting of constellation satellites. We then apply our new results on the stunningly rich dynamical structure of the MEO region toward the analysis of these disposal strategies for Galileo, and discuss the practical implications of resonances and chaos in this regime. We outline how the identification of the hyperbolic and elliptic fixed points of the resonances near Galileo can lead to explicit criteria for defining optimal disposal strategies., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to MNRAS. Comments are greatly appreciated

It has long been suspected that the Global Navigation Satellite Systems exist in a background of complex resonances and chaotic motion; yet, the precise dynamical character of these phenomena remains elusive. Recent studies have shown that the occurrence and nature of the resonances driving these dynamics depend chiefly on the frequencies of nodal and apsidal precession and the rate of regression of the Moon's nodes. Woven throughout the inclination and eccentricity phase space is an exceedingly complicated web-like structure of lunisolar secular resonances, which become particularly dense near the inclinations of the navigation satellite orbits. A clear picture of the physical significance of these resonances is of considerable practical interest for the design of disposal strategies for the four constellations. Here we present analytical and semi-analytical models that accurately reflect the true nature of the resonant interactions, and trace the topological organization of the manifolds on which the chaotic motions take place. We present an atlas of FLI stability maps, showing the extent of the chaotic regions of the phase space, computed through a hierarchy of more realistic, and more complicated, models, and compare the chaotic zones in these charts with the analytical estimation of the width of the chaotic layers from the heuristic Chirikov resonance-overlap criterion. As the semi-major axis of the satellite is receding, we observe a transition from stable Nekhoroshev-like structures at three Earth radii, where regular orbits dominate, to a Chirikov regime where resonances overlap at five Earth radii. From a numerical estimation of the Lyapunov times, we find that many of the inclined, nearly circular orbits of the navigation satellites are strongly chaotic and that their dynamics are unpredictable on decadal timescales., Comment: Submitted to Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy. Comments are greatly appreciated. 28 pages, 15 figures

Numerical simulations carried out over the past decade suggest that the orbits of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems are unstable, resulting in an apparent chaotic growth of the eccentricity. Here we show that the irregular and haphazard character of these orbits reflects a similar irregularity in the orbits of many celestial bodies in our Solar System. We find that secular resonances, involving linear combinations of the frequencies of nodal and apsidal precession and the rate of regression of lunar nodes, occur in profusion so that the phase space is threaded by a devious stochastic web. As in all cases in the Solar System, chaos ensues where resonances overlap. These results may be significant for the analysis of disposal strategies for the four constellations in this precarious region of space., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS

The purpose of this work is the analysis of the consequences that desaturation maneuvers can have in the precise orbit determination corresponding to the Radio Science Experiment (MORE) of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury. This mission is an ESA/JAXA joint project with very challenging objectives regarding geodesy, geophysics and fundamental physics. In the neighborhood of Mercury, the s/c will experience strong solar radiation pressure torques; the s/c attitude is controlled by inertial wheels that after some time reach their maximum rotation state. Then they have to be slowed down by means of thruster pulses, inducing a residual acceleration on the s/c, with a desaturation (or off-loading) maneuver. In this paper, we will show how such maneuvers affect the orbit of the s/c and the radio science measurements and, also, how to include them in the orbit determination and parameter estimation procedure. The non linear least squares fit we consider is applied on a set of observational arcs separated by intervals of time where the probe is not visible. With the current baseline of two ground stations, two maneuvers are performed per day, one during the observing session, the other in the dark. To reach the scientific goals of the mission, they have to be treated as "solve for quantities". We have developed a specific methodology based on the deterministic propagation of the orbit, which is able to deal with these variables, by connecting subsequent observational arcs in a smooth way. The numerical simulations we will show demonstrate that this constrained multi-arc strategy is able to determine the maneuvers, including the ones in the dark, together with the other parameters of interest at a high level of accuracy. The future development consists in including accelerometer readings and calibrations in the method., Comment: This paper has been withdrawn by the author as it was rejected by the journal Acta Astronautica

It is known that most of the craters on the surface of the Moon were created by the collision of minor bodies of the Solar System. Main Belt Asteroids, which can approach the terrestrial planets as a consequence of different types of resonance, are actually the main responsible for this phenomenon. Our aim is to investigate the impact distributions on the lunar surface that low-energy dynamics can provide. As a first approximation, we exploit the hyberbolic invariant manifolds associated with the central invariant manifold around the equilibrium point L_2 of the Earth - Moon system within the framework of the Circular Restricted Three - Body Problem. Taking transit trajectories at several energy levels, we look for orbits intersecting the surface of the Moon and we attempt to define a relationship between longitude and latitude of arrival and lunar craters density. Then, we add the gravitational effect of the Sun by considering the Bicircular Restricted Four - Body Problem. As further exploration, we assume an uniform density of impact on the lunar surface, looking for the regions in the Earth - Moon neighbourhood these colliding trajectories have to come from. It turns out that low-energy ejecta originated from high-energy impacts are also responsible of the phenomenon we are considering., Comment: The paper is being published in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, vol. 107 (2010)