Reactive and Robust Paradigms for Autonomous Mission Design at Small Bodies

The complexity and sensitivity of strongly non-Keplerian orbital motion near asteroids and comets motivates an autonomous onboard approach to mission design. By applying heuristic-guided numerical reachability analyses in a receding horizon scheme, impulsive orbit control maneuvers are successively designed to fulfill sets of abstractly specified science goals. Building upon prior work, this solution technique is extended to mitigate state and model uncertainty through robust planning and reaction to excessive deviations, a low-frequency form of feedback. Planning policy effectiveness is verified by conducting Monte Carlo analysis of mission planning trials at the highly irregularly shaped comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Comparisons of different planner parameterizations are drawn based upon control behavior and mission profile characteristics, ultimately indicating that a balance of the two mitigation paradigms is the most practical and effective.