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Published 2006 | public
Book Section - Chapter

Epicycles and oscillations: The dynamics of the LISA orbits

Abstract

This paper presents a modern treatment of epicycle theory, which is an exact series representation of Keplerian motion, and uses that theory to develop the first analytic method for analyzing the higher order dynamics of the LISA orbits. LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission, uses a constellation of three spacecraft in heliocentric space and takes advantage of particular solutions of the Clohessy-Wiltshire equations, a first-order approximation of gravitational dynamics, to keep the constellation an equilateral triangle. The higher-order analysis presented here suggests a modification of the basic LISA orbit architecture which may improve the stability of the constellation.

Additional Information

© 2006 American Astronautical Society. This research was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
January 13, 2024