Patent ID: 8768622

Claim:
A computer implemented method for determining, with a computer processor, a required impulsive change in velocity of a secondary space vehicle with respect to a primary space vehicle at a known maneuvering waypoint to move the secondary space vehicle to a known target waypoint, the method comprising: providing an apocentral coordinate system for orbital motion of the primary and secondary space vehicles, wherein said apocentral coordinate system is a right-hand orthogonal coordinate system defined by the ellipse of the motion of the secondary with respect to the primary in a relative orbital plane, with a primary axis being defined by a line between the primary and one of two opposite furthest points on the ellipse from the primary, a second axis being perpendicular to the first axis in the relative orbital plane, and a third axis being normal to the relative orbital plane and defined by a cross product of the primary axis and the second axis; determining, with a computer processor, a pre-maneuver velocity vector at the maneuvering waypoint based on a pre-maneuver orbital location and velocity vector of the secondary with respect to the primary in the apocentral coordinate system; determining, with a computer processor, a required post-maneuver velocity vector at the maneuvering waypoint required for the secondary to reach the target waypoint in the apocentral coordinate system; and determining, with a computer processor, the required impulsive change in velocity as a vector difference between the post-maneuver velocity and the pre-maneuver velocity.