TY - JOUR A1 - Stiemer, Luc Nicolas A1 - Thoma, Andreas A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - MBT3D: Deep learning based multi-object tracker for bumblebee 3D flight path estimation JF - PLoS ONE N2 - This work presents the Multi-Bees-Tracker (MBT3D) algorithm, a Python framework implementing a deep association tracker for Tracking-By-Detection, to address the challenging task of tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group. While tracking algorithms for bumblebees exist, they often come with intensive restrictions, such as the need for sufficient lighting, high contrast between the animal and background, absence of occlusion, significant user input, etc. Tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group is challenging. They suddenly adjust movements and change their appearance during different wing beat states while exhibiting significant similarities in their individual appearance. The MBT3D tracker, developed in this research, is an adaptation of an existing ant tracking algorithm for bumblebee tracking. It incorporates an offline trained appearance descriptor along with a Kalman Filter for appearance and motion matching. Different detector architectures for upstream detections (You Only Look Once (YOLOv5), Faster Region Proposal Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN), and RetinaNet) are investigated in a comparative study to optimize performance. The detection models were trained on a dataset containing 11359 labeled bumblebee images. YOLOv5 reaches an Average Precision of AP = 53, 8%, Faster R-CNN achieves AP = 45, 3% and RetinaNet AP = 38, 4% on the bumblebee validation dataset, which consists of 1323 labeled bumblebee images. The tracker’s appearance model is trained on 144 samples. The tracker (with Faster R-CNN detections) reaches a Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy MOTA = 93, 5% and a Multiple Object Tracking Precision MOTP = 75, 6% on a validation dataset containing 2000 images, competing with state-of-the-art computer vision methods. The framework allows reliable tracking of different bumblebees in the same video stream with rarely occurring identity switches (IDS). MBT3D has much lower IDS than other commonly used algorithms, with one of the lowest false positive rates, competing with state-of-the-art animal tracking algorithms. The developed framework reconstructs the 3-dimensional (3D) flight paths of the bumblebees by triangulation. It also handles and compares two alternative stereo camera pairs if desired. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291415 SN - 1932-6203 N1 - Corresponding author: Luc Nicolas Stiemer VL - 18 IS - 9 PB - PLOS CY - San Fancisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhnisch, Nils A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Muscarello, Vincenzo A1 - Marzocca, Pier T1 - About the wing and whirl flutter of a slender wing–propeller system JF - Journal of Aircraft N2 - Next-generation aircraft designs often incorporate multiple large propellers attached along the wingspan (distributed electric propulsion), leading to highly flexible dynamic systems that can exhibit aeroelastic instabilities. This paper introduces a validated methodology to investigate the aeroelastic instabilities of wing–propeller systems and to understand the dynamic mechanism leading to wing and whirl flutter and transition from one to the other. Factors such as nacelle positions along the wing span and chord and its propulsion system mounting stiffness are considered. Additionally, preliminary design guidelines are proposed for flutter-free wing–propeller systems applicable to novel aircraft designs. The study demonstrates how the critical speed of the wing–propeller systems is influenced by the mounting stiffness and propeller position. Weak mounting stiffnesses result in whirl flutter, while hard mounting stiffnesses lead to wing flutter. For the latter, the position of the propeller along the wing span may change the wing mode shapes and thus the flutter mechanism. Propeller positions closer to the wing tip enhance stability, but pusher configurations are more critical due to the mass distribution behind the elastic axis. Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/1.C037542 SN - 1533-3868 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koch, Christopher A1 - Böhnisch, Nils A1 - Verdonck, Hendrik A1 - Hach, Oliver A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - Comparison of unsteady low- and mid-fidelity propeller aerodynamic methods for whirl flutter applications JF - Applied Sciences N2 - Aircraft configurations with propellers have been drawing more attention in recent times, partly due to new propulsion concepts based on hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors. These configurations are prone to whirl flutter, which is an aeroelastic instability affecting airframes with elastically supported propellers. It commonly needs to be mitigated already during the design phase of such configurations, requiring, among other things, unsteady aerodynamic transfer functions for the propeller. However, no comprehensive assessment of unsteady propeller aerodynamics for aeroelastic analysis is available in the literature. This paper provides a detailed comparison of nine different low- to mid-fidelity aerodynamic methods, demonstrating their impact on linear, unsteady aerodynamics, as well as whirl flutter stability prediction. Quasi-steady and unsteady methods for blade lift with or without coupling to blade element momentum theory are evaluated and compared to mid-fidelity potential flow solvers (UPM and DUST) and classical, derivative-based methods. Time-domain identification of frequency-domain transfer functions for the unsteady propeller hub loads is used to compare the different methods. Predictions of the minimum required pylon stiffness for stability show good agreement among the mid-fidelity methods. The differences in the stability predictions for the low-fidelity methods are higher. Most methods studied yield a more unstable system than classical, derivative-based whirl flutter analysis, indicating that the use of more sophisticated aerodynamic modeling techniques might be required for accurate whirl flutter prediction. KW - Aeroelasticity KW - Flutter KW - Propeller whirl flutter KW - Unsteady aerodynamics KW - 1P hub loads Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app14020850 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 28 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baader, Fabian A1 - Boxberg, Marc S. A1 - Chen, Qian A1 - Förstner, Roger A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - Dachwald, Bernd T1 - Field-test performance of an ice-melting probe in a terrestrial analogue environment JF - Icarus N2 - Melting probes are a proven tool for the exploration of thick ice layers and clean sampling of subglacial water on Earth. Their compact size and ease of operation also make them a key technology for the future exploration of icy moons in our Solar System, most prominently Europa and Enceladus. For both mission planning and hardware engineering, metrics such as efficiency and expected performance in terms of achievable speed, power requirements, and necessary heating power have to be known. Theoretical studies aim at describing thermal losses on the one hand, while laboratory experiments and field tests allow an empirical investigation of the true performance on the other hand. To investigate the practical value of a performance model for the operational performance in extraterrestrial environments, we first contrast measured data from terrestrial field tests on temperate and polythermal glaciers with results from basic heat loss models and a melt trajectory model. For this purpose, we propose conventions for the determination of two different efficiencies that can be applied to both measured data and models. One definition of efficiency is related to the melting head only, while the other definition considers the melting probe as a whole. We also present methods to combine several sources of heat loss for probes with a circular cross-section, and to translate the geometry of probes with a non-circular cross-section to analyse them in the same way. The models were selected in a way that minimizes the need to make assumptions about unknown parameters of the probe or the ice environment. The results indicate that currently used models do not yet reliably reproduce the performance of a probe under realistic conditions. Melting velocities and efficiencies are constantly overestimated by 15 to 50 % in the models, but qualitatively agree with the field test data. Hence, losses are observed, that are not yet covered and quantified by the available loss models. We find that the deviation increases with decreasing ice temperature. We suspect that this mismatch is mainly due to the too restrictive idealization of the probe model and the fact that the probe was not operated in an efficiency-optimized manner during the field tests. With respect to space mission engineering, we find that performance and efficiency models must be used with caution in unknown ice environments, as various ice parameters have a significant effect on the melting process. Some of these are difficult to estimate from afar. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115852 N1 - Forschungsdaten hierzu: "Performance data of an ice-melting probe from field tests in two different ice environments" (https://opus.bibliothek.fh-aachen.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/10890) IS - 409 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thoma, Andreas A1 - Thomessen, Karolin A1 - Gardi, Alessandro A1 - Fisher, A. A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - Prioritising paths: An improved cost function for local path planning for UAV in medical applications JF - The Aeronautical Journal N2 - Even the shortest flight through unknown, cluttered environments requires reliable local path planning algorithms to avoid unforeseen obstacles. The algorithm must evaluate alternative flight paths and identify the best path if an obstacle blocks its way. Commonly, weighted sums are used here. This work shows that weighted Chebyshev distances and factorial achievement scalarising functions are suitable alternatives to weighted sums if combined with the 3DVFH* local path planning algorithm. Both methods considerably reduce the failure probability of simulated flights in various environments. The standard 3DVFH* uses a weighted sum and has a failure probability of 50% in the test environments. A factorial achievement scalarising function, which minimises the worst combination of two out of four objective functions, reaches a failure probability of 26%; A weighted Chebyshev distance, which optimises the worst objective, has a failure probability of 30%. These results show promise for further enhancements and to support broader applicability. KW - Path planning KW - Cost function KW - Multi-objective optimization Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/aer.2023.68 SN - 0001-9240 (Print) SN - 2059-6464 (Online) IS - First View SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schulze, Sven A1 - Feyerl, Günter A1 - Pischinger, Stefan T1 - Advanced ECMS for hybrid electric heavy-duty trucks with predictive battery discharge and adaptive operating strategy under real driving conditions JF - Energies N2 - To fulfil the CO2 emission reduction targets of the European Union (EU), heavy-duty (HD) trucks need to operate 15% more efficiently by 2025 and 30% by 2030. Their electrification is necessary as conventional HD trucks are already optimized for the long-haul application. The resulting hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) truck gains most of the fuel saving potential by the recuperation of potential energy and its consecutive utilization. The key to utilizing the full potential of HEV-HD trucks is to maximize the amount of recuperated energy and ensure its intelligent usage while keeping the operating point of the internal combustion engine as efficient as possible. To achieve this goal, an intelligent energy management strategy (EMS) based on ECMS is developed for a parallel HEV-HD truck which uses predictive discharge of the battery and adaptive operating strategy regarding the height profile and the vehicle mass. The presented EMS can reproduce the global optimal operating strategy over long phases and lead to a fuel saving potential of up to 2% compared with a heuristic strategy. Furthermore, the fuel saving potential is correlated with the investigated boundary conditions to deepen the understanding of the impact of intelligent EMS for HEV-HD trucks. KW - Energy management strategies KW - ECMS KW - CO2 emission reduction targets KW - Driving cycle recognition KW - Predictive battery discharge Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en16135171 SN - 1996-1073 N1 - The article belongs to the Special Issue "Energy Management Strategies of Electrified Vehicles toward the Real-World Driving". VL - 16 IS - 13 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Esch, Thomas T1 - Trends in commercial vehicle powertrains JF - ATZautotechnology N2 - Low emission zones and truck bans, the rising price of diesel and increases in road tolls: all of these factors are putting serious pressure on the transport industry. Commercial vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers are in the process of identifying new solutions to these challenges as part of their efforts to meet the EEV (enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle) limits, which are currently the most robust European exhaust and emissions standards for trucks and buses. KW - European Transient Cycle KW - Common Rail Injection System KW - Commercial Vehicle KW - Selective Catalytic Reduction KW - Diesel Engine Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03247185 SN - 2192-886X VL - 2010 IS - 10 SP - 26 EP - 31 PB - Vieweg & Sohn CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Funke, Harald A1 - Esch, Thomas A1 - Roosen, Petra T1 - Powertrain Adaptions for LPG Usage in General Aviation JF - MTZ worldwide N2 - In general aviation, too, it is desirable to be able to operate existing internal combustion engines with fuels that produce less CO₂ than Avgas 100LL being widely used today It can be assumed that, in comparison, the fuels CNG, LPG or LNG, which are gaseous under normal conditions, produce significantly lower emissions. Necessary propulsion system adaptations were investigated as part of a research project at Aachen University of Applied Sciences. Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s38313-021-0756-6 VL - 2022 IS - 83 SP - 58 EP - 62 PB - Springer Nature CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Funke, Harald A1 - Esch, Thomas A1 - Roosen, Petra T1 - Antriebssystemanpassungen zur Verwendung von LPG als Flugkraftstoff JF - Motortechnische Zeitschrift (MTZ) N2 - Auch in der allgemeinen Luftfahrt wäre es wünschenswert, die bereits vorhandenen Verbrennungsmotoren mit weniger CO₂-trächtigen Kraftstoffen als dem heute weit verbreiteten Avgas 100LL betreiben zu können. Es ist anzunehmen, dass im Vergleich die unter Normalbedingungen gasförmigen Kraftstoffe CNG, LPG oder LNG deutlich weniger Emissionen produzieren. Erforderliche Antriebssystemanpassungen wurden im Rahmen eines Forschungsprojekts an der FH Aachen untersucht. Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s35146-021-0778-2 VL - 2022 IS - 83 SP - 58 EP - 62 PB - Springer Nature CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fayyazi, Mojgan A1 - Sardar, Paramjotsingh A1 - Thomas, Sumit Infent A1 - Daghigh, Roonak A1 - Jamali, Ali A1 - Esch, Thomas A1 - Kemper, Hans A1 - Langari, Reza A1 - Khayyam, Hamid T1 - Artificial intelligence/machine learning in energy management systems, control, and optimization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles N2 - Environmental emissions, global warming, and energy-related concerns have accelerated the advancements in conventional vehicles that primarily use internal combustion engines. Among the existing technologies, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles may have minimal contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and thus are the prime choices for environmental concerns. However, energy management in fuel cell electric vehicles and fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles is a major challenge. Appropriate control strategies should be used for effective energy management in these vehicles. On the other hand, there has been significant progress in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and designing data-driven intelligent controllers. These techniques have found much attention within the community, and state-of-the-art energy management technologies have been developed based on them. This manuscript reviews the application of machine learning and intelligent controllers for prediction, control, energy management, and vehicle to everything (V2X) in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The effectiveness of data-driven control and optimization systems are investigated to evolve, classify, and compare, and future trends and directions for sustainability are discussed. KW - optimization system KW - intelligent control KW - fuel cell vehicle KW - machine learning KW - artificial intelligence KW - intelligent energy management Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15065249 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Circular Economy and Artificial Intelligence" VL - 15 IS - 6 SP - 38 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dickhoff, Jens A1 - Horikawa, Atsushi A1 - Funke, Harald T1 - Hydrogen Combustion - new DLE Combustor Addresses NOx Emissions and Flashback JF - Turbomachinery international : the global journal of energy equipment Y1 - 2021 SN - 2767-2328 SN - 0149-4147 VL - 62 IS - 4 SP - 26 EP - 27 PB - MJH Life Sciences CY - Cranbury ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ulmer, Jessica A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Cheng, Chi-Tsun A1 - Dowey, Steve A1 - Wollert, Jörg T1 - A human factors-aware assistance system in manufacturing based on gamification and hardware modularisation JF - International Journal of Production Research N2 - Assistance systems have been widely adopted in the manufacturing sector to facilitate various processes and tasks in production environments. However, existing systems are mostly equipped with rigid functional logic and do not provide individual user experiences or adapt to their capabilities. This work integrates human factors in assistance systems by adjusting the hardware and instruction presented to the workers’ cognitive and physical demands. A modular system architecture is designed accordingly, which allows a flexible component exchange according to the user and the work task. Gamification, the use of game elements in non-gaming contexts, has been further adopted in this work to provide level-based instructions and personalised feedback. The developed framework is validated by applying it to a manual workstation for industrial assembly routines. KW - Human factors KW - assistance system KW - gamification KW - adaptive systems KW - manufacturing Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2023.2166140 SN - 0020-7543 (Print) SN - 1366-588X (Online) PB - Taylor & Francis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bergmann, Ole A1 - Möhren, Felix A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Janser, Frank T1 - On the influence of elasticity on swept propeller noise JF - AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum N2 - High aerodynamic efficiency requires propellers with high aspect ratios, while propeller sweep potentially reduces noise. Propeller sweep and high aspect ratios increase elasticity and coupling of structural mechanics and aerodynamics, affecting the propeller performance and noise. Therefore, this paper analyzes the influence of elasticity on forward-swept, backward-swept, and unswept propellers in hover conditions. A reduced-order blade element momentum approach is coupled with a one-dimensional Timoshenko beam theory and Farassat's formulation 1A. The results of the aeroelastic simulation are used as input for the aeroacoustic calculation. The analysis shows that elasticity influences noise radiation because thickness and loading noise respond differently to deformations. In the case of the backward-swept propeller, the location of the maximum sound pressure level shifts forward by 0.5 °, while in the case of the forward-swept propeller, it shifts backward by 0.5 °. Therefore, aeroacoustic optimization requires the consideration of propeller deformation. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0210 N1 - Session: Propeller, Open Rotor, and Rotorcraft Noise II AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum, 23-27 January 2023, National Harbor, MD & Online PB - AIAA ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhnisch, Nils A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Muscarello, Vincenzo A1 - Marzocca, Pier T1 - A sensitivity study on aeroelastic instabilities of slender wings with a large propeller JF - AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum N2 - Next-generation aircraft designs often incorporate multiple large propellers attached along the wingspan. These highly flexible dynamic systems can exhibit uncommon aeroelastic instabilities, which should be carefully investigated to ensure safe operation. The interaction between the propeller and the wing is of particular importance. It is known that whirl flutter is stabilized by wing motion and wing aerodynamics. This paper investigates the effect of a propeller onto wing flutter as a function of span position and mounting stiffness between the propeller and wing. The analysis of a comparison between a tractor and pusher configuration has shown that the coupled system is more stable than the standalone wing for propeller positions near the wing tip for both configurations. The wing fluttermechanism is mostly affected by the mass of the propeller and the resulting change in eigenfrequencies of the wing. For very weak mounting stiffnesses, whirl flutter occurs, which was shown to be stabilized compared to a standalone propeller due to wing motion. On the other hand, the pusher configuration is, as to be expected, the more critical configuration due to the attached mass behind the elastic axis. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-1893 N1 - AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum, 23-27 January 2023, National Harbor, MD & Online SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - AIAA ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Funke, Harald A1 - Beckmann, Nils T1 - Flexible fuel operation of a Dry-Low-NOx Micromix Combustor with Variable Hydrogen Methane Mixture JF - International Journal of Gas Turbine, Propulsion and Power Systems N2 - The role of hydrogen (H2) as a carbon-free energy carrier is discussed since decades for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As bridge technology towards a hydrogen-based energy supply, fuel mixtures of natural gas or methane (CH4) and hydrogen are possible. The paper presents the first test results of a low-emission Micromix combustor designed for flexible-fuel operation with variable H2/CH4 mixtures. The numerical and experimental approach for considering variable fuel mixtures instead of recently investigated pure hydrogen is described. In the experimental studies, a first generation FuelFlex Micromix combustor geometry is tested at atmospheric pressure at gas turbine operating conditions corresponding to part- and full-load. The H2/CH4 fuel mixture composition is varied between 57 and 100 vol.% hydrogen content. Despite the challenges flexible-fuel operation poses onto the design of a combustion system, the evaluated FuelFlex Micromix prototype shows a significant low NOx performance Y1 - 2022 SN - 1882-5079 VL - 13 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maurischat, Andreas T1 - Algebraic independence of the Carlitz period and its hyperderivatives JF - Journal of Number Theory KW - Drinfeld modules KW - Periods KW - t-modules KW - Transcendence KW - Higher derivations Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnt.2022.01.006 SN - 0022-314X VL - 240 SP - 145 EP - 162 PB - Elsevier CY - Orlando, Fla. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dachwald, Bernd T1 - Optimization of very-low-thrust trajectories using evolutionary neurocontrol JF - Acta Astronautica N2 - Searching optimal interplanetary trajectories for low-thrust spacecraft is usually a difficult and time-consuming task that involves much experience and expert knowledge in astrodynamics and optimal control theory. This is because the convergence behavior of traditional local optimizers, which are based on numerical optimal control methods, depends on an adequate initial guess, which is often hard to find, especially for very-low-thrust trajectories that necessitate many revolutions around the sun. The obtained solutions are typically close to the initial guess that is rarely close to the (unknown) global optimum. Within this paper, trajectory optimization problems are attacked from the perspective of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Inspired by natural archetypes, a smart global method for low-thrust trajectory optimization is proposed that fuses artificial neural networks and evolutionary algorithms into so-called evolutionary neurocontrollers. This novel method runs without an initial guess and does not require the attendance of an expert in astrodynamics and optimal control theory. This paper details how evolutionary neurocontrol works and how it could be implemented. The performance of the method is assessed for three different interplanetary missions with a thrust to mass ratio <0.15mN/kg (solar sail and nuclear electric). Y1 - 2005 SN - 1879-2030 VL - 57 IS - 2-8 SP - 175 EP - 185 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam [u.a.] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Loeb, Horst Wolfgang A1 - Schartner, Karl-Heinz A1 - Dachwald, Bernd A1 - Ohndorf, Andreas A1 - Seboldt, Wolfgang T1 - Interstellar heliopause probe JF - Труды МАИ N2 - There is common agreement within the scientific community that in order to understand our local galactic environment it will be necessary to send a spacecraft into the region beyond the solar wind termination shock. Considering distances of 200 AU for a new mission, one needs a spacecraft traveling at a speed of close to 10 AU/yr in order to keep the mission duration in the range of less than 25 yrs, a transfer time postulated by European Space Agency (ESA). Two propulsion options for the mission have been proposed and discussed so far: the solar sail propulsion and the ballistic/radioisotope-electric propulsion (REP). As a further alternative, we here investigate a combination of solar-electric propulsion (SEP) and REP. The SEP stage consists of six 22-cms diameter RIT-22 ion thrusters working with a high specific impulse of 7377 s corresponding to a positive grid voltage of 5 kV. Solar power of 53 kW at begin of mission (BOM) is provided by a lightweight solar array. Y1 - 2012 IS - 60 SP - 2 EP - 2 PB - Moskauer Staatliches Luftfahrtinstitut (МАИ) CY - Moskau ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Peloni, Alessandro A1 - Ceriotti, Matteo A1 - Dachwald, Bernd T1 - Solar-sail trajectory design for a multiple near-earth-asteroid rendezvous mission JF - Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics N2 - The scientific interest for near-Earth asteroids as well as the interest in potentially hazardous asteroids from the perspective of planetary defense led the space community to focus on near-Earth asteroid mission studies. A multiple near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission with close-up observations of several objects can help to improve the characterization of these asteroids. This work explores the design of a solar-sail spacecraft for such a mission, focusing on the search of possible sequences of encounters and the trajectory optimization. This is done in two sequential steps: a sequence search by means of a simplified trajectory model and a set of heuristic rules based on astrodynamics, and a subsequent optimization phase. A shape-based approach for solar sailing has been developed and is used for the first phase. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through a fully optimized multiple near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission. The results show that it is possible to visit five near-Earth asteroids within 10 years with near-term solar-sail technology. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/1.G000470 SN - 0731-5090 VL - 39 IS - 12 SP - 2712 EP - 2724 PB - AIAA CY - Reston, Va. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hein, Andreas M. A1 - Eubanks, T. Marshall A1 - Lingam, Manasvi A1 - Hibberd, Adam A1 - Fries, Dan A1 - Schneider, Jean A1 - Kervella, Pierre A1 - Kennedy, Robert A1 - Perakis, Nikolaos A1 - Dachwald, Bernd T1 - Interstellar now! Missions to explore nearby interstellar objects JF - Advances in Space Research N2 - The recently discovered first hyperbolic objects passing through the Solar System, 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, have raised the question about near term missions to Interstellar Objects. In situ spacecraft exploration of these objects will allow the direct determination of both their structure and their chemical and isotopic composition, enabling an entirely new way of studying small bodies from outside our solar system. In this paper, we map various Interstellar Object classes to mission types, demonstrating that missions to a range of Interstellar Object classes are feasible, using existing or near-term technology. We describe flyby, rendezvous and sample return missions to interstellar objects, showing various ways to explore these bodies characterizing their surface, dynamics, structure and composition. Their direct exploration will constrain their formation and history, situating them within the dynamical and chemical evolution of the Galaxy. These mission types also provide the opportunity to explore solar system bodies and perform measurements in the far outer solar system. KW - Interstellar objects KW - Trajectories KW - Missions Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2021.06.052 SN - 0273-1177 VL - 69 IS - 1 SP - 402 EP - 414 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -