The original version of this story was first published in Quanta Magazine. In October, a Falcon Heavy rocket is set to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, a $5 billion endeavor aimed at determining if Jupiter’s moon, Europa, could potentially support life. Due to the intense radiation from Jupiter’s magnetic field bombarding Europa, the Clipper spacecraft cannot orbit the moon itself. Instead, it will enter an eccentric orbit around Jupiter and conduct data collection by flying past Europa 53 times before moving away from the radiation. Each pass by Jupiter will result in a slightly different path for the spacecraft, allowing for data collection from various parts of Europa.
To plan such complex trajectories, trajectory planners utilize computer models that meticulously calculate each step of the path. These calculations consider hundreds of mission requirements and are supported by decades of mathematical research on orbits and their complexities. Mathematicians are currently developing tools to enhance the systematic understanding of how orbits are interconnected.
Engineer Daniel Scheeres from the University of Colorado, Boulder, expressed that while previous computations guide current planning efforts, there is still a lack of a complete picture of all available options. NASA engineer Dayung Koh also highlighted the frustration of not fully understanding why orbits are positioned as they are during her studies. She became interested in categorizing orbits into families after completing her doctorate. For instance, Jovian orbits can be grouped into families based on their proximity to Europa. Additionally, certain orbits such as Lyapunov orbits, which are points between two bodies where gravitational effects balance to create stability, offer unique features that could benefit spacecraft missions.
Overall, engineers and mathematicians are working to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how orbits in planetary systems correlate with one another, aiming to optimize mission planning and resource allocation.
