Calculating the time taken for an asteroid mission using MATLAB

[SpaceGuy17]

TL;DR Summary

Using MATLAB, I am trying to calculate the time taken for a spacecraft to travel from Earth to a near earth asteroid and then returning back to Earth but so far I have had no luck. Furthermore, I want to plot a Hohmann transfer and calculate the mass of fuel required for this mission. If possible, I would really appreciate some pointers (initial conditions, similar problems etc.)! P.S. For this problem would it be better to use ode23 or ode45?

Using MATLAB, I am trying to calculate the time taken for a spacecraft to travel from Earth to a near Earth asteroid and then returning back to Earth but so far I have had no luck. Furthermore, I want to plot a Hohmann transfer and calculate the mass of fuel required for this mission. If possible, I would really appreciate some pointers (initial conditions, similar problems etc.)! P.S. For this problem would it be better to use ode23 or ode45?

 

[NateD]

Unfortunately, MATLAB alone is not sufficient to solve this problem. You will need to use an additional software package such as STK (Systems Tool Kit), which is a simulation software suite developed by Analytical Graphics Inc that is used to model space missions. STK can be used to calculate the time taken for a spacecraft to travel from Earth to a near Earth asteroid and then returning back to Earth as well as plot a Hohmann transfer and calculate the mass of fuel required for this mission. To get started, you can find tutorials and resources on the Analytical Graphics Inc website. Regarding the integration algorithms, both ode23 and ode45 are suitable for solving the equations of motion for this problem. It really depends on the accuracy and speed that you are looking for. Generally speaking, ode45 is more accurate but slower than ode23. If you want to go even further, you can also look into higher order solvers such as ode78 and ode113.