Utilities and Support Tools

A typical mission analysis involves functionality outside the realm of trajectory optimization and this additional functionality is provided with several supporting application programs that are delivered with HILTOP. The specific support tools that are presently included are:

• A program to evaluate solar array modeling coefficients;
• A program to evaluate launch vehicle modeling coefficients;
• A program to create a tabular text ephemeris file of a solar system body or a spacecraft ephemeris;
• A program to create and maintain a database file of user specified orbital elements of solar system bodies; and
• A program to facilitate the retrieval of orbital elements from the JPL Horizons system and insertion of those elements in a specific User Defined Body ephemeris file;
• A program to create a spacecraft trajectory file in SPK file format.

Additionally, many of the supporting application programs provided with MAnE are also useful for low-thrust missions. Specifically, one of the standard output files of HILTOP is compatible with the Mission Builder feature of MAnE for developing solutions for missions of opportunity. So, the use of MAnE and HILTOP together offers significant benefit.