Trajectory Design Using Approximate Analytic Solutions of the N-body Problem

Résumé du livre

The N-body problem as formulated by Sir Isaac Newton in the seventeenth century has been a rich source of mathematical and scientific discovery. Continuous attempts invested into the solution of this problem over the years have resulted in a host of remarkable theories that have changed the way the world is viewed and analyzed. A final solution in terms of an infinite time-dependent power series was finally discovered in the latter part of the twentieth century. However, the slow convergence of this result makes its implementation impractical in every day spacecraft trajectory design and optimization. The only feasible way to solve the N-body problem reliably is to numerically integrate the equations of motion.