Analysis of Weak-Stability-Boundary Transfers from Earth to Mars

This paper analyzes transfer trajectories from Earth to Mars with ballistic capture. To begin with, the dynamics of capture orbits on Mars is studied in the framework of a restricted three-body problem. Subsequently, an algorithm is developed to find the weak-stability-boundary trajectories from Earth to Mars in high-fidelity force model taking into account the launch vehicle’s payload capabilities. This algorithm was able to find a number of capture trajectories to Mars for all the cases considered in the study.