Algorithms for computing efficient, electric-propulsion, spiralling trajectories

Completed

Description

Develop techniques for rapidly designing many-revolution, electric-propulsion, spiralling trajectories, including the effects of shadowing, gravity harmonics, and possibly impulsive manoeuvres, aerodynamic effects and gravity assists.

Benefits

Missions will benefit from new techniques for rapidly designing many-revolution, electric-propulsion, spiralling trajectories, including the effects of shadowing, gravity harmonics, and possibly impulsive manoeuvres, aerodynamic effects and gravity assists.

Details

Technology area	GN&C > Navigation Technologies > Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Capture Trajectory Design and Orbit Determination
Program	Center Independent Research & Development: JPL IRAD (JPL IRAD)
Lead organization	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Start date	2012-10-01
End date	2013-10-01

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Jonas Zmuidzinas — jonas.zmuidzinas@jpl.nasa.gov
Anastassios E Petropoulos — anastassios.e.petropoulos@jpl.nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.