Low-Thrust Minimum-Fuel Optimization in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem

A study was conducted to demonstrate low-thrust minimum-fuel optimization in the circular restricted three-body problem. The study solved the problem of geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)-to-halo transfer for the first time. This result was achieved with an indirect approach and constant specific impulse engine. Thrust-to-mass ratios in agreement with currently available technology were considered. Some effective techniques were applied to cope with problem complexity. These methods involved solving the minimum-fuel, minimum energy, and minimum-time problems, implementing energy-to-fuel homotopy, continuing the maximum thrust magnitude, and computing the analytic Jacobians.