Enhancing Earth-Mars Transfer Trajectories: A Conic Patch Method Using Evolutionary Algorithms

Abstract Given the importance of interplanetary transfers in celestial mechanics, this paper introduces a novel patched-conic method for designing interplanetary orbits, providing an optimized framework for mission planning. The transfer problem is formulated by identifying key parameters such as launch windows, transfer angles, and delta-v requirements, which are optimized using an evolutionary algorithm to minimize fuel consumption and flight duration. The study employs consecutive solutions to Lambert’s problem, focusing on the intersection points of conic sections to calculate the total transfer cost. The proposed method demonstrates rapid convergence, making it highly suitable for computational implementation and practical mission planning. This study presented an optimized interplanetary trajectory for a spacecraft traveling from Earth to Mars using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The results successfully demonstrate the capability of PSO to minimize the total Δv required for the mission while ensuring adherence to mission constraints and achieving efficient flight times.