Campaign-level mission planning with integrated trajectory design and propulsion technology trades

As technologies enabling human exploration of beyond LEO targets mature, new strategies are being investigated for the logistics involved in such missions. Optimizing the logistics network for a campaign, rather than focusing on mission-level planning, can result in more efficient architectures. In this work, we propose a campaign-level methodology that will help mission designers quickly explore the tradespace of using SEP (for cargo/propellant delivery) and chemical propulsion (for crew transfers and depot deliveries) by calculating the optimal combinations of these technologies for different arcs. This technique is demonstrated for a campaign that involves a return-to-the-Moon mission using the cis-lunar space as a staging area. Optimal number of depots and their locations are calculated for a few mission profiles and their implications for mission planning are discussed.