Spacecraft insertion on unstable periodic orbits for formation flight applications

Recent interest in formation flight near the libration points opens the question of precise spacecraft insertion along a nominal orbit. While current approaches emphasize the station‐keeping and (re)configuration of such formations, we propose a dynamical mechanism for spacecraft insertion and servicing in formation flight based on the concept of stable fibration. Practical considerations due to finite targeting accuracy are briefly considered via a numerical experiment. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)