Hopping trajectory optimization for surface exploration on small bodies

Surface exploration is an important way to improve the understanding of small bodies. Considering the irregular and weak gravity field near a small body, the movement of the surface explorer is generally achieved by hopping. In this paper, a guidance algorithm method based on convex optimization approach for pinpoint hopping movement on a small body is developed in order to improve the stability and accuracy of surface exploration. We formulate a fuel-optimal control problem for the single pinpoint hopping and convert it into a second-order cone programming (SOCP) problem which can be solved effectively by primal-dual-interior points method. A multi-hopping scenario is also proposed for the long-distance transfer. To certificate the performance of the proposed guidance algorithm, a full set of simulations are conducted and the effectiveness are analyzed.