We prove the existence of periodic orbits of the two fixed centers problem bifurcating from the Kepler problem. We provide the analytical expressions of these periodic orbits when the mass parameter of the system is sufficiently small.

The set of transverse homoclinic intersections for a saddle-focus equilibrium in the planar equilateral restricted four-body problem admits certain simple homoclinic orbits which form the skeleton of the complete homoclinic intersection—or homoclinic web. In the present work, the planar restricted four-body problem is viewed as an invariant subsystem of the spatial problem, and the influence of this

Spacecraft and natural objects orbiting an active comet are perturbed by gas drag from the coma. These gases expand radially at about 0.5 km/s, much faster than orbital velocities that are on the order of meters per second. The coma has complex gas distributions and is difficult to model. Accelerations from gas drag can be on the same order of gravity and are currently poorly understood. Semi-analytical

Luna 3 (or Lunik 3 in Russian sources) was the first spacecraft to perform a flyby of the Moon. Launched in October 1959 on a translunar trajectory with large semimajor axis and eccentricity, it collided with the Earth in late March 1960. The short, 6-month dynamical lifetime has often been explained through an increase in eccentricity due to the Lidov–Kozai effect. However, the classical Lidov–Kozai

We study planar and three-dimensional retrograde periodic orbits, using the model of the restricted three-body problem (RTBP) with the Sun and Neptune as primaries and focusing on the dynamics of resonant trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). The position and the stability character of the periodic orbits can provide important piece of information on the stability and long-term evolution of small TNOs in

We perform statistical wavelet analysis of the Main Belt asteroids, seeking statistically significant asteroid families. The goal is to test the new wavelet analysis algorithm and to compare its results with more traditional methods like the hierarchic clustering. We first consider several 1D distributions for various physical and orbital parameters of asteroids. Then, we consider three bivariate distributions

The current giant planet region is a transitional zone where transneptunian objects (TNOs) cross in their way to becoming Jupiter Family Comets. Their dynamical behavior is conditioned by the intrinsic dynamical features of TNOs and also by the encounters with the giant planets. We address the Giant Planet Crossing (GPC) population (those objects with 5.2 au \(< q < 30\,\hbox {au}\)) studying their

We consider, after Albouy–Moeckel, the inverse problem for collinear central configurations: Given a collinear configuration of n bodies, find positive masses which make it central. We give some new estimates concerning the positivity of Albouy–Moeckel Pfaffians: We show that for any homogeneity \(\alpha \) and \(n\le 6\) or \(n\le 10\) and \(\alpha =1\) (computer assisted) the Pfaffians are positive

Third-body perturbations have been extensively studied in recent years. Almost all previous works, however, assumed that the perturbations are caused by a third body that orbits the primary on a radius larger than the semimajor axis of the perturbed object. This assumption is justified as long as the primary is not accompanied by a third body in close orbit. In this work, we present an analytic model

In the first paragraph of the Introduction, the last sentence should read as “ Vinti.

The exploration of small bodies in the Solar system and the ability to perform remote or in situ science is tied to the understanding of the dynamical environment of such objects. As such, the evaluation of the gravity field arising from small bodies is key to this understanding. However, remote observations can only produce shape estimates, from which only uncertain gravity fields can be computed

Near rectilinear halo orbits (NRHOs), a subset of the \(L_1\) and \(L_2\) halo orbit families, are strong candidates for a future inhabited facility in line with the goals for NASA’s long-term cislunar transportation network. Higher-period dynamical structures that bifurcate from the NRHO region of the \(L_2\) halo family offer additional insight into motion departing from or arriving into the vicinity

We examine a 2-DOF Hamiltonian system modeling some previously unexplored dynamical effects in first-order mean motion resonances in the spatial circular restricted three-body problem “star-planet-asteroid.” In distinction from the well-known integrable model of Sessin and Ferraz-Mello (Celest Mech Dyn Astron 32:307–332, 1984) and Wisdom (Celest Mech Dyn Astron 38:175–180, 1986), in our analysis, we

The existence of Lagrange coefficients under two-body dynamics is well known, and the concept forms the basis of robust algorithms for solving a variety of fundamental astrodynamics problems. The Lagrange coefficients are generalized to Vinti theory in the present work, where the Vinti potential describes the dynamics of small objects like spacecraft orbiting an oblate body. Exact expressions for the

Having 50 years of unique observations, lunar laser ranging (LLR) is used to test central elements of Einstein’s theory of relativity, like a possible temporal variation of the gravitational constant or metric parameters. Here, we focused on a possible violation of the equivalence principle (EP) due to assumed dark matter in the galactic center. According to the EP, Earth and Moon experience the same

The Colombo top is a basic model in the rotation dynamics of a celestial body moving on a precessing orbit and perturbed by a gravitational torque. The paper presents a detailed study of analytical solution to this problem. By solving algebraic equations of degree 4, we provide the expressions for the extreme points of trajectories as functions of their energy. The location of stationary points (known

The increasing interest towards exploring small bodies in the Solar system has paved the way for the investigation of different gravity field models allowing robust orbit design and dynamical environment characterization. Among these, the spherical harmonics representation and the polyhedral gravity model are the most employed and studied—the former for historical reasons and the latter due to the

The Kepler potential \(\propto {-1/r}\) and the harmonic potential \(\propto r^2\) share the following remarkable property: In either of these potentials, a bound test particle orbits with a radial period that is independent of its angular momentum. For this reason, the Kepler and harmonic potentials are called isochrone. In this paper, we solve the following general problem: Are there any other isochrone

The purpose of this work is to determine the location and stability of the Cassini states of a celestial body with an inviscid fluid core surrounded by a perfectly rigid mantle. Both situations where the rotation speed is either non-resonant or trapped in a \(p\!:\!1\) spin–orbit resonance where p is a half integer are addressed. The rotation dynamics is described by the Poincaré–Hough model which

We propose an adaptation of the semilinear algorithm for the prediction of the impact corridor on ground of an Earth-impacting asteroid. The proposed algorithm provides an efficient tool, able to reliably predict the impact regions at fixed altitudes above ground with 5 orders of magnitudes less computations than Monte Carlo approaches. Efficiency is crucial when dealing with imminent impactors, which

This work focuses on the definition of satellite constellations whose secular relative distributions are invariant under the perturbation produced by the Earth gravitational potential. This is done by defining the satellite distribution directly in the Earth-Centered–Earth-Fixed frame of reference and using the along-track time distances between satellites to define the satellite constellation configuration