Creation of a trajectory framework that could be sustainable for a continuous exploration of Mars and its moons

As humanity looks to the Cislunar region in recent space flight operations, the question remains: where will technology advance next? Mars is of particular interest with both the public and private sector aiming to get humans on the planet in the coming decades. Investigating stable trajectories in the Mars-Phobos-Deimos system for telecommunications and observation is the next step in developing future mission plans. Innovations in orbital mechanics must be considered, neither the Two Body Problem (2BP) nor the Circular Restricted Three Body Problem (CR3BP) are sufficient to effectively model satellite motion. Instead, in similar fashion to the patched-conics solution of transfers between the influence of celestial bodies, a patched CR3BP-2BP-CR3BP method of propagating the orbits is proposed. To begin, assumptions about Deimos and Phobos will be made—co-planar orbits and spherical symmetry to name a few. Once the problem has been successfully modeled, each assumption will be undone methodically to increase modeling accuracy. Impulsive maneuvers will be considered, as well as low, continuous thrust maneuvers. The aim of this project is to develop a robust, sustainable trajectory framework that can be used in future missions

A review on hot-spot areas within the Cislunar region and upon the Moon surface, and methods to gather passive information from these regions

The Cislunar region is becoming a focal point of expansion over upcoming decades. Long-term Lunar infrastructure supporting Cislunar expansion must be located in key regions on the Moon\u27s surface and in space. The purpose of this research is to identify key regions of interest on and around the Moon by investigating the location of valuable resources and the destination of future missions. Once key regions are established, low-lunar orbit trajectories are analyzed to enable methods of passive information gain in identified key regions of interest. It has been found that the South Pole and Earth-sided craters are key regions on the Lunar surface in the near future. Furthermore, an analysis of low lunar orbit trajectories is completed and demonstrates a possible framework to service the South Pole region