Cislunar Exploration
SOLUTIONSCislunar space is an important destination for ongoing and future space programs. From science-gathering missions in search of resources like water and rare earth metals (REMs) to long-term human space flight programs such as Artemis and the Lunar Gateway, the complexities of cislunar space will bring discoveries and innovation.
A regime of sensitivity
The sensitive, intricate dynamics of the cislunar regime are crucial to be aware of as we expand into this new domain. Imagine a mission departing from Earth to the Moon, leveraging the gravitational forces exerted by the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The sensitivity of these dynamics becomes apparent when considering the impact of minute perturbations. Small perturbations at the beginning of a trajectory can lead to large deviations downstream.
Even the tiniest adjustments can significantly alter the course of a mission. This paradigm presents challenges, but also offers unique advantages. Spacecraft can traverse regions of cislunar space for a relatively low propellant expenditure, or delta-V cost. This characteristic makes cislunar space an intriguing regime for future missions, where a subtle touch can yield efficient travel.
-6.png)
-7.png)
-8.png)
Cislunar motion classification
Compared to the Near-Earth realm, classifying motion in cislunar space is far more complex.
The periodic orbits found in cislunar space offer a diverse set of destinations for space missions, differing from the traditional conic orbits. These orbits vary in their geometry, making them advantageous for different mission profiles. Some of the common multi-body periodic orbits include:
- L1/L2 Lyapunov Orbit Families
- Distant Retrograde Orbit Families
- L1/L2 Halo Orbit Families
- L2 Northern/Southern Butterfly Orbit Families
- L1/L2 Vertical Orbit Families
.png)
Strategies for cislunar trajectory design
Direct Lunar Transits
Direct lunar transits provide quick access to low lunar orbit and cislunar libration point orbits for shorter times of flight, at the expense of higher Delta-V costs. These types of transits are advantageous when minimizing time to reach your destination is critical.
Low Energy, Ballistic Lunar Transfers
Ballistic lunar transfers provide access to low lunar orbit and other cislunar libration point orbits at much lower Delta-V costs compared to direct transits. They leverage solar gravity to help “pull” the spacecraft up to the Moon. However, they require longer times of flight to reach the destination. These types of lunar transfers are advantageous when minimizing propellant cost is most important.
Families of solutions
Given the sensitivity of the cislunar dynamics, understanding the different families of solutions is necessary as opposed to isolated, point solutions. This offers a dynamic approach to evolving mission constraints, providing greater flexibility and problem-solving capabilities.
Contact our team to learn more about our cislunar exploration solutions
Cislunar trajectory tools
In the realm of cislunar space exploration, the task of trajectory design requires a set of effective tools. While these tools are not exhaustive, the following stand out for their versatility in different types of analyses.
- Nonlinear dynamics necessitate robust algorithms for optimization and targeting
- Typically, building a cislunar trajectories requires breaking the path into multiple segments or arcs, which serve as building blocks to the end-to-end mission
- Optimization and targeting are applied to unify the end-to-end trajectory to satisfy various mission constraints
-1.png)
Cislunar observation challenges
There are unique observational challenges in cislunar space. Resident Space Object (RSO) detection, RSO tracking, lighting conditions, and sensor choice and placement are each affected by the large distances and volumes of space in this regime. The development of proper cislunar observational practices will advance how this complex environment is studied and how data is collected.
- With a volume as large as cislunar space (~10,000x volume of GEO), resident space objects (RSOs) and the technologies made to observe them can be at significant distances from one another.
- These distances can cause the objects to become faint, and at times undetectable, to the observer. In other words, the farther the two entities move away from each other, the less likely the RSOs are to be identified.
