Intersecting invariant manifolds in spatial restricted three-body problems: Design and optimization of Earth-to-halo transfers in the Sun–Earth–Moon scenario

This work deals with the design of transfers connecting LEOs with halo orbits around libration points of the Earth–Moon CRTBP using impulsive maneuvers. Exploiting the coupled circular restricted three-body problem approximation, suitable first guess trajectories are derived detecting intersections between stable manifolds related to halo orbits of EM spatial CRTBP and Earth-escaping trajectories integrated in planar Sun–Earth CRTBP. The accuracy of the intersections in configuration space and the discontinuities in terms of Δv are controlled through the box covering structure implemented in the software GAIO. Finally first guess solutions are optimized in the bicircular four-body problem and single-impulse and two-impulse transfers are presented.

► Single-impulse and two-impulse transfers to halo orbits in the Earth–Moon scenario. ► Box covering technique to intersect Sun–Earth manifolds with Earth–Moon manifolds. ► Trajectory optimization.