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A complete first-order analytical solution, which includes the short periodic terms, for the problem of optimal low-thrust limited-power transfers between arbitrary elliptic coplanar orbits in a Newtonian central gravity field is obtained through canonical transformation theory. The optimization problem is formulated as a Mayer problem of optimal control theory with Cartesian elements—position and velocity vectors—as state variables. After applying the Pontryagin maximum principle and determining the maximum Hamiltonian, classical orbital elements are introduced through a Mathieu transformation. The short periodic terms are then eliminated from the maximum Hamiltonian through an infinitesimal canonical transformation built through Hori method. Closed-form analytical solutions are obtained for the average canonical system by solving the Hamilton-Jacobi equation through separation of variables technique. For transfers between close orbits a simplified solution is straightforwardly derived by linearizing the new Hamiltonian and the generating function obtained through Hori method.

In this paper, a first-order analytical solution, which includes the short periodic terms, for the problem of optimal time-fixed low-thrust limited-power transfers (no rendezvous), in an inverse-square force field, between coplanar orbits with small eccentricities is obtained through canonical transformation theory. Short periodic terms are eliminated from the maximum Hamiltonian, expressed in non-singular orbital elements, through an infinitesimal canonical transformation built through the Hori method. Closed-form analytical solutions are obtained for the average canonical system by solving the Hamilton-Jacobi equation through the separation of variables technique. For long duration maneuvers, the existence of conjugate points is investigated through the Jacobi condition.

The orbital dynamics of synchronous satellites is studied. The 2 : 1 resonance is considered; in other words, the satellite completes two revolutions while the Earth completes one. In the development of the geopotential, the zonal harmonicsJ20andJ40and the tesseral harmonicsJ22andJ42are considered. The order of the dynamical system is reduced through successive Mathieu transformations, and the final system is solved by numerical integration. The Lyapunov exponents are used as tool to analyze the chaotic orbits.

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