<h2>AAS 95-399</h2><h2>Optimal Earth-Moon Trajectories Using Nuclear Electric Propulsion</h2><h4>C. A. Kluever, University of Missouri-Columbia/K.C., MO,  B. L. Pierson, Iowa State University, Ames, IA</h4><h2> Abstract </h2>Minimum-fuel, 2-D and 3-D, Earth-moon trajectories are obtained for a nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft.  The initial and terminal states are low, circular parking orbits about the Earth and moon.  The trajectory has a fixed thrust-coast-thrust engine sequence and is governed by the classical restricted three-body problem dynamic model.  An analytical expression for quasi-circular low-thrust transfers is used to approximate and replace the hundreds of initial and final orbits about the Earth and moon.  Numerical results are presented for the optimal Earth-moon trajectories.
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