arXiv subjects

Spencer Boone

Publications and source records attributed to Spencer Boone.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An Efficient Non-Gaussian Chance Constraint Method for Stochastic Nonlinear Problems in Spaceflight

Standard chance-constrained spacecraft guidance typically relies on the assumption that uncertainties in vehicle states obey Gaussian statistics. In frontier applications such as the cislunar environment or deep space flybys, the dynamics can be particularly nonlinear, and time between measurements can be long, leading to the need to make decisions whose outcomes produce non-Gaussian distributions. This paper demonstrates a non-Gaussian confidence boundary technique for stochastic guidance in such applications. Our approach is to consider the true confidence contour as a perturbation of the one predicted from covariance, then to derive perturbed boundary geometry from computed higher-order statistical moments. Applying this technique to so-called "banana-shaped distributions", found in orbital mechanics problems, enables a simple parameterization of the confidence contour using the skew and kurtosis tensors. This parameterization is then applied to a stochastic and nonlinear impulsive spacecraft maneuver targeting problem, with special treatment of a relevant non-convex constraint.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2026

Efficient Nonlinear Uncertainty Quantification for Spaceflight Leveraging Nonlinear Expansions

This paper provides a comparative study of modern uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods. To greatly enhance real-time performance, both differential algebra (DA) and a directional differential algebra (DDA) approach are employed. This can enable fast UQ in the case of non-Gaussian statistics. Higher-order moments, namely skew and kurtosis, can be computed quickly by several means. This motivates their implementation in an analytic approximation of the confidence bounds for the so-called "banana-shaped" non-Gaussian distributions encountered often in nonlinear astrodynamics problems. This method improves greatly on a linear covariance approach, with only 5x its runtime in numerical tests, even before DA methods are employed. Test problems in this work include a restricted three-body cislunar example and an Earth-return aerocapture example.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2026

Analytic Non-Gaussian Confidence Boundary Method for Chance-Constrained Trajectory Control

Standard chance constrained control algorithms typically rely on the assumption that uncertainties in vehicle states obey Gaussian statistics. Highly nonlinear systems tend to disrupt Gaussianity, challenging standard chance-constrained control methods. This paper develops a non-Gaussian confidence boundary parameterization technique for such cases where the problem departs appreciably from the Gaussian assumption. The approach is to consider the true confidence boundary as a perturbation of the one predicted from covariance, deriving perturbed boundary geometry from computed higher-order statistical moments. Applying this technique to so-called "banana-shaped distributions" (found e.g. in orbital mechanics problems) enables a simple parameterization of the confidence boundary using the skew and kurtosis tensors. The method is then applied to an impulsive stochastic spacecraft maneuver targeting problem in two-body dynamics. An algorithmic implementation outperforms a standard linear covariance-based approach in computing control parameters satisfying certain probabilistic bounds on the non-Gaussian distribution.

math.OC↗

arXiv2025

Catalog and Characterization of Science Orbit Configurations for an Enceladus Orbiter

Saturn's moon Enceladus is an exciting destination for future exploration missions due to the scientifically interesting geyser region located on its South pole. In this work, we compile the different types of science orbit configurations that have been proposed in the literature and present numerical methods to compute each of them in the Saturn-Enceladus circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP). In addition, we explore the utility of the higher period dynamical structures found in the CR3BP. Figures of merit such as the observational properties and geometries for each family of orbits are presented. By providing a consistent analysis of potential Enceladus science orbits, this work can serve as a baseline for future mission designs.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

Taylor polynomial-based constrained solver for fuel-optimal low-thrust trajectory optimisation

This paper presents differential algebra-based differential dynamic programming (DADDy), a publicly available C++ framework for constrained, fuel-optimal low-thrust trajectory optimisation. The method uses differential algebra (DA) for two purposes: automatic differentiation and high-order Taylor expansions of the dynamics. These expansions replace many expensive numerical propagations with polynomial evaluations, reducing computational effort while preserving solution quality. The framework combines two complementary modules. First, a differential dynamic programming (DDP)/iterative linear-quadratic regulator (iLQR) stage computes an almost-feasible trajectory from imperfect initial guesses. Second, a polynomial-accelerated Newton stage enforces full feasibility with fast local convergence. Equality and inequality constraints are handled through an augmented Lagrangian formulation, and a pseudo-Huber homotopy is used to improve robustness for fuel-optimal objectives. The solver is evaluated on benchmark transfers in Sun-centred, Earth-Moon, and Earth-centred dynamical environments. Across these cases, the most robust configuration (iLQRDyn) converged systematically and reduced run time by 70% (Sun-centred), 51-88% (Earth-Moon), and 41-55% (Earth-centred) relative to the corresponding baseline. When convergent, the DDP-based variants are faster still. Overall, the results show that DA-based acceleration can substantially improve practical efficiency while retaining robust convergence behaviour on the tested benchmark set.

math.OC↗