Low-Thrust Trajectory Optimization for Cubesat Lunar Mission: HORYU-VI
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arXiv
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866915805944348672 |
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| author | Iskender, Omer Burak Ling, Keck Voon Cho, Mengu Kim, Sangkyun Orger, Necmi Cihan |
| author_facet | Iskender, Omer Burak Ling, Keck Voon Cho, Mengu Kim, Sangkyun Orger, Necmi Cihan |
| contents | This paper presents a low-thrust trajectory optimization strategy to achieve a near-circular lunar orbit for a CubeSat injected into a lunar flyby trajectory. The 12U CubeSat HORYU-VI is equipped with four Hall-effect thrusters and designed as a secondary payload on NASA's Space Launch System under the Artemis program. Upon release, the spacecraft gains sufficient energy to escape the Earth-Moon system after a lunar flyby. The proposed trajectory is decomposed into three phases: (1) pre-flyby deceleration to avoid heliocentric escape, (2) lunar gravitational capture, and (3) orbit circularization to the science orbit. For each phase, an impulsive-burn solution is first computed as an initial guess, which is then refined through finite-burn optimization using Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP). The dynamical model incorporates Earth-Moon-Sun-Jupiter gravitational interactions and a high-fidelity lunar gravity field. All trajectories are independently verified with NASA's General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT). Results demonstrate that HORYU-VI achieves lunar capture within 200 days, establishes a stable science orbit at 280 days, and can spiral down to a near-circular 100 km orbit by 450 days, using a total Delta-V of 710 m/s, well within the capability of the electric propulsion system. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_16831 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Low-Thrust Trajectory Optimization for Cubesat Lunar Mission: HORYU-VI Iskender, Omer Burak Ling, Keck Voon Cho, Mengu Kim, Sangkyun Orger, Necmi Cihan Systems and Control Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics This paper presents a low-thrust trajectory optimization strategy to achieve a near-circular lunar orbit for a CubeSat injected into a lunar flyby trajectory. The 12U CubeSat HORYU-VI is equipped with four Hall-effect thrusters and designed as a secondary payload on NASA's Space Launch System under the Artemis program. Upon release, the spacecraft gains sufficient energy to escape the Earth-Moon system after a lunar flyby. The proposed trajectory is decomposed into three phases: (1) pre-flyby deceleration to avoid heliocentric escape, (2) lunar gravitational capture, and (3) orbit circularization to the science orbit. For each phase, an impulsive-burn solution is first computed as an initial guess, which is then refined through finite-burn optimization using Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP). The dynamical model incorporates Earth-Moon-Sun-Jupiter gravitational interactions and a high-fidelity lunar gravity field. All trajectories are independently verified with NASA's General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT). Results demonstrate that HORYU-VI achieves lunar capture within 200 days, establishes a stable science orbit at 280 days, and can spiral down to a near-circular 100 km orbit by 450 days, using a total Delta-V of 710 m/s, well within the capability of the electric propulsion system. |
| title | Low-Thrust Trajectory Optimization for Cubesat Lunar Mission: HORYU-VI |
| topic | Systems and Control Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16831 |