Transfer to Distant Retrograde Orbits Using Manifold Theory

The purpose of this work is to develop transfer trajectories from Earth to prespecified distant retrograde orbits in the sun-Earth planar circular restricted three-body problem by using orbits about the collinear equilibrium point L 1 . More specifically, we examine whether it is possible to use the hyperbolic network associated with the horizontal Lyapunov orbits around L 1 to find transfer trajectories to a wide range of distant retrograde orbits that are more energy-efficient and/or time-efficient compared with standard impulsive maneuvers. We point out how to apply manifold theory in the transfer-trajectory design process and show that for a certain class of distant retrograde orbits, the dynamic systems approach reveals the availability of transfer trajectories having reduced energy requirements or considerably reduced transfer times.