Mars Double-Flyby Free Returns

Using low Lift-to-Drag spacecraft to perform upper atmospheric Aero-Gravity Assisted Maneuvers

“…The losses of energy are used to get the inverse behavior, searching close approaches to the internal planets and/or the Sun, like in the missions BepiColombo or Solar Orbiter. Some missions require large values of Delta-V, and it is necessary multiple passages (GAMs) to reach the energy required or to increase the turn angle (direction of the velocity vector after the swing-by), meeting the goals of the mission (Jesick, 2015). When the impulse of the GAM is not coplanar, the maneuvers could be used to modify the orbital plane, changing the inclination (Lohar et al 1996).…”