Advanced Solar-Electric Energy: Part I

[PB666]

You still have not done the math. Its not a few percent., SKE is specific kinetic energy specific potential energy as two components of specific mechanical energy.

Spacecraft Orbital mechanics is ALL about energy management particularly when you are moving between Hill spheres. If you only concern yourself with velocities and dV you fail, simple as that.

Again, I am point out to you the inherent inefficiencies in ION drive systems that give rise to the problem

1. Lack of thrust on the endplate give rise to huge endplates
2. Lack of a credible power source (except for small satellites, in which case solar will do)
3. Futuristic power sources that are incredibly heavy and produce untenable amounts of heat

These give rise to the choice one needs to make concerning

1. Burning between SOI using non-optimal burn points
2. Burning at optimal burn points but requiring insane amounts of time.
3. A compromise between 1 and 2 starting with choice
a. burning from AtP optimal  -90 to 90 degrees (doubling the time but significantly cutting the loses)
to
b. burning a few degrees clost to AtP optimal and losing little but taking alot of time.
or
c. Do a spiral out burn and wasting half the dV.

Quote

 

f you for instance burned to barely escape earth and then at mars burn to reach HMO and then burned again to circularize mars these are your DV assuming we nailed the plane change at liftoff window and

dv1 - 3240.  Burn to escape Earths SOI and no more (spiralling cost even more)
dv2 - 3663. Burn to Mars and no more
combining dv1&2 into a single burn with associated plane change - 3884 (you saved 3019 dV)
dv3 - 1986. Burn to match velocity just inside Mars SOI
dv4 - 1499. Circularize at Mars LMO. (Spiralling in costs more)
combining dv3&4 into a single - 1877 (you saved  1608 dV).

 

Read it again, when you do the math and figure out where the numbers came from, then we can talk about it further.