The Trajectory Design Strategies for Akatsuki Mission

Abstract

The Venus explorer, Akatsuki, was launch on 20 May 2010. After 200-day journey through the interplanetary transfer orbit, it reached the Venus at the altitude of 550 km on 7 Dec 2010. However, it experienced a trouble of the explorer's propulsion system and was not able to be the Venus orbiter. It now orbits the Sun with the period of 203 days. In this paper, we discuss the trajectory design strategies for Akatsuki mission by introducing the constraints which come from the observation orbit and the spacecraft system. The details of planning and the results of orbital maneuvers are also shown in this paper.