Stability of Sun-Synchronous Orbits in the Vicinity of a Comet

This paper identifies and analyzes stable sun-synchronous orbits in aHill rotating frame that can be applied to any small body in the solar system. The stability of these orbits is due to the inclusion of solar radiation pressure effects. The stability of the orbits from escaping the comet are analyzed using the construction of zero-velocity curves for the system considered as well as spectral analysis. The stability analysis also considers the effect of orbital perturbations from outgassing jets on a spacecraft in orbit about a comet. Once these orbits have been identified, impulsive control schemes to restrict a stable orbit’s motion are explored, showing that it is feasible to implement a form of orbital hovering in the terminator plane of a comet.