Hybrid Numerical Solution of Sequential Impulsive Pursuit and Evasion Games in Cislunar Orbital Dynamics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70882/Keywords:
Keywords: Cislunar space; orbital pursuit and evasion; circular restricted three-body problem; differential games; impulsive manoeuvres; hybrid numerical optimization.Abstract
Abstract Impulsive orbital pursuit and evasion in cislunar space present significant challenges due to the complex gravitational interactions between Earth and the Moon. This study develops a zero-sum differential game model based on the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) to determine interception strategies that minimize capture time. The necessary optimality conditions are derived using Pontryagin's Maximum Principle (PMP), resulting in a multipoint boundary value problem (MPBVP). To improve numerical convergence, a hybrid initialization method combining a genetic algorithm, coarse-grid time search, and differential correction is employed for single-impulse manoeuvres. A receding-horizon approach is further applied to generate initial solutions for multiple-impulse scenarios. Numerical analyses involving distant retrograde orbits (DROs) examine the influence of initial orbital configurations, manoeuvre timing, and impulse capabilities on interception performance. The results demonstrate that interception time varies with orbital geometry and manoeuvre constraints. The hybrid method also reduces computational time from 51.9305 to 5.3737 minutes compared with conventional grid enumeration for the evaluated case. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of combining three-body orbital dynamics with structured numerical optimization for analysing impulsive pursuit and evasion strategies in cislunar space.References
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