Probe lifetime around natural satellites with obliquity

Abstract

The dynamics of a probe orbiting a moon can be significantly influenced by the non-coincidence between the moon’s equatorial and orbital planes. Thus, we performed a general analysis about the effects of the angle (obliquity) between the above-mentioned planes and of the angle (nodal phasing) between the nodal lines of the mother planet’s apparent orbit and the probe orbit on the lifetime of the probe. The lifetime, strictly correlated to the variations in eccentricity of the probe orbit, was evaluated starting from low values of the semi-major axis, moderate eccentricity, and high inclination to offer high ground spatial resolution and extend latitudinal coverage of the natural satellite. This investigation, carried out through numerical simulations, may be useful for identifying the optimal initial conditions of the probe’s orbit elements, leading to an important increase in the probe lifetime in missions devoted to the exploration of natural satellites.