Deimos rendezvous mission analysis and orbital design based on the Mars survey

Abstract

Imaging the Martian surface with a sun-synchronous orbit is a fundamental task of most current Mars exploration programs. In this paper, the Mars-Deimos multi-target orbit design is carried out for a small spacecraft that uses the spacecraft’s spare spacecraft to achieve a carrier launch. Due to the 92.7° inclination of the working orbit of the main detector, Deimos detection is carried out by means of a swept intersection: The working orbit is designed for a large elliptical orbit with a critical inclination of 116.6° and a lifetime of 280 Deimos intersections. Unlike the Viking-1 orbital control, which is used to suppress arch line drift, the working track maintenance strategy designed in this paper is used only to eliminate tangential drift, and keep the consumption and frequency reducing with increasing orbital accuracy. Finally, the working orbit was analysed for its imaging, illumination and metrological/numeric transmission conditions and the spatio-temporal distribution of occult events between the small spacecraft and the main probe. Deimos imaging plan is used in the pre life descent phase, and Mars surface imaging plan is used in the post life ascent phase. The results of the analysis indicate that the full use of the carrier margin for small spacecraft launch can be carried out, for example, imaging the surface of Mars and Centaur, and covering the earth’s atmosphere with the main detector. The working orbit and orbital control strategies are designed to take into account the impact of orbital determination errors and main actuators (both short-period and long-period items, etc.) on the Deimos rendezvous, and to have engineering implementation conditions.