My boss co-authored that paper [1] :) Ballistic capture is interesting: makes use of fuzzy/chaotic dynamics in the 3-Body Problem. I worked on analysis of the W

My boss co-authored that paper [1] :) Ballistic capture is interesting: makes use of fuzzy/chaotic dynamics in the 3-Body Problem. I worked on analysis of the Weak Stability Boundary, which is the mathematical set of all points in phase-space that lie at this fuzzy boundary, for my Masters thesis [2]. It has been used in a few missions, including SMART-1, Stardust, and Hiten. ESA's Bepi-Colombo mission will also be using it to ensure that there isn't a single point-of-failure to enter orbit around Mercury. The big problem with ballistic capture is that it doesn't guarantee a more optimal solution. Transfers can take a lot longer, and in theory even require more fuel. So it's very much a case of having to perform mission analysis on a case-by-case basis. Nevertheless, it's an interesting prospect to send unmanned missions to Mars carrying habitat elements, before a manned mission, since they can be sent well in advance. I analyzed the prospect of potentially using a cycler [3] for this in my thesis. [1] http://arxiv.org/abs/1410.8856 http://arxiv.org/abs/1410.8856 [2] http://repository.tudelft.nl/view/ir/uuid%3Ae8c99c80-a25d-4c7b-b8c2-f0f27c69fc32/ http://repository.tudelft.nl/view/ir/uuid%3Ae8c99c80-a25d-4c... [3] http://courses.ae.utexas.edu/ase333t/past_projects/04spring/Cycler%20Website/cyclers.html http://courses.ae.utexas.edu/ase333t/past_projects/04spring/...