You are invited to our next Physics & Astronomy colloquium on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 from 12:10 - 1 pm in CNS 206/208.
Dr. Eric Edlund (SUNY Cortland)
Exploring Orbital Interception
Analysis of the orbital motion of spacecraft requires that we think in terms of angular momentum rather than the more familiar linear momentum. This small change has significant implications for motion and results in some non-intuitive results, like going backward to move forward. In this talk, we will imagine ourselves as pilots of a spacecraft on a mission to dock with the ISS. In order to accomplish our objective, we must choose the appropriate thrust vectors for the interception and rendezvous. Our analysis will examine the space of possible intercept solutions, sensitivity to control parameters, and the possibility of fast-intercept maneuvers.