Orbit design for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

authored by: Yan Xia, Guangyu Li, Gerhard Heinzel, Albrecht Rüdiger, Yongjie Luo
Abstract: The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint ESA-NASA mission for detecting low-frequency gravitational waves in the frequency range from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz, by using accurate laser interferometry between three spacecrafts, which will be launched around 2018 and one year later reach their operational orbits around the Sun. In order to operate successfully, it is crucial for the constellation of the three spacecrafts to have extremely high stability. Based on the study of operational orbits for a 2015 launch, we design the operational orbits of beginning epoch on 2019-03-01, and introduce the method of orbit design and optimization. We design the orbits of the transfer from Earth to the operational orbits, including launch phase and separation phase; furthermore, the relationship between energy requirement and flight time of these two orbit phases is investigated. Finally, an example of the whole orbit design is presented.
Organisation(s): Institute of Gravitation Physics
External Organisation(s): CAS - Purple Mountain Observatory
University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
Type: Article
Journal: Science China: Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy
Volume: 53
Pages: 179-186
No. of pages: 8
ISSN: 1674-7348
Publication date: 30.01.2010
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: General Physics and Astronomy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-010-0100-7 (Access: Closed)

BibTeX

@article{aaf52ad32b984e7b82cfcd707c2c2294,
title = "Orbit design for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)",
abstract = "The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint ESA-NASA mission for detecting low-frequency gravitational waves in the frequency range from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz, by using accurate laser interferometry between three spacecrafts, which will be launched around 2018 and one year later reach their operational orbits around the Sun. In order to operate successfully, it is crucial for the constellation of the three spacecrafts to have extremely high stability. Based on the study of operational orbits for a 2015 launch, we design the operational orbits of beginning epoch on 2019-03-01, and introduce the method of orbit design and optimization. We design the orbits of the transfer from Earth to the operational orbits, including launch phase and separation phase; furthermore, the relationship between energy requirement and flight time of these two orbit phases is investigated. Finally, an example of the whole orbit design is presented.",
keywords = "Co-orbital restricted problem, Launch energy, Orbit design, Orbit optimization",
author = "Yan Xia and Guangyu Li and Gerhard Heinzel and Albrecht R{\"u}diger and Yongjie Luo",
year = "2010",
month = jan,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1007/s11433-010-0100-7",
language = "English",
volume = "53",
pages = "179--186",
journal = "Science China: Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy",
issn = "1674-7348",
publisher = "Science in China Press",
number = "1",
}