Earth’s perturbation on High Lunar Orbits: analysis and possible applications

In this context of renewed interest in lunar exploration and increasing number of missions operating in the cislunar environment, it becomes essential to deeper understand the dynamical behavior of spacecraft operating in lunar orbits. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the effects of the Earth’s third-body perturbation on High Lunar Orbits, with a particular focus on the long-term evolution of the corresponding orbital elements. Starting from a perturbative case-study, an averaged model is developed in order to describe the secular dynamics of the system. The equilibrium configurations and the integrals of motion are identified, as well as the coupling between eccentricity and inclination through phase-space analysis is investigated. In addition, the libration dynamics around the equilibrium points are examined, together with the evaluation of the corresponding libration periods. Finally, the obtained results are discussed with respect to their potential applications for what concerns the design of future lunar missions.