Near-Linear Orbit Uncertainty Propagation Using the Generalized Equinoctial Orbital Elements

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of minimizing the impact of nonlinearities when dealing with uncertainty propagation in the perturbed two-body problem. The recently introduced generalized equinoctial orbital elements set is employed as a means to reduce nonlinear effects stemming from [Formula: see text] and higher-order gravity field harmonics. The uncertainty propagation performance of the proposed set of elements in different Earth orbit scenarios, including low-thrust orbit raising, is evaluated using a Cramér–von Mises test on the Mahalanobis distance of the uncertainty distribution. A considerable improvement compared to all sets of elements proposed so far is obtained.