Targeting low-energy transfers to low lunar orbit

A targeting scheme is presented to build 21-day launch periods for low-energy trajectories from any specified Earth parking orbit to any specified low lunar orbit, using up to two mid-course maneuvers. A total of 288 launch periods are constructed for transfers to a variety of different targeted low lunar orbits, arriving at different times during the month. Each orbital insertion occurs at an altitude of 100 km above the lunar surface and each orbit sampled in this paper is polar; the longitude of ascending node and the argument of periapse vary for each sampled orbit. An analysis is presented to characterize the total transfer ΔVΔV required to build a launch period, as well as the total transfer ΔVΔV required to transfer from any given Earth parking orbit inclination to each sampled lunar orbit.

► We present a targeting algorithm to build practical low-energy lunar transfer trajectory designs.
► We present the results of several hundred missions that use this targeting scheme.
► We examine which characteristics of a low-energy transfer drive the launch period costs.
► It costs approximately 2.5 m/s per day to establish a launch period.
► There is no significant trend in the cost of a mission relative to its initial orbital inclination.