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Invariant manifolds, the spatial three-body problem and space mission design
Gomez, G.; Koon, WS; Lo, MW; Marsden, JE; Masdemont, J.; Ross, SD
AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
Quebec City, Canada, 2001
Abstract:
The invariant manifold structures of the collinear libration points for the spatial restricted three-body problem provide the framework for understanding complex dynamical phenomena from a geometric point of view. In particular, the stable and unstable invariant manifold ``tubes'' associated to libration point orbits are the phase space structures that provide a conduit for orbits between primary bodies for separate three-body systems. These invariant manifold tubes can be used to construct new spacecraft trajectories, such as a ``Petit Grand Tour'' of the moons of Jupiter. Previous work focused on the planar circular restricted three-body problem. The current work extends the results to the spatial case.

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