Time of Permanence in Ballistic Capture

Author: Tianjiang Shuo Website: https://cislunarspace.cn

Definition

The duration from the first perilune to the moment the spacecraft escapes the lunar sphere of influence in a ballistic capture orbit. A key metric for evaluating capture orbit quality; longer permanence implies greater orbital stability and better suitability for mission operations.

Application Value

This orbital design method can be applied to transfer trajectory design, orbit keeping, and mission planning in cislunar space missions, improving spacecraft performance and mission flexibility.

References

• Sousa-Silva et al. (2018) Fast earth–moon transfers with ballistic capture