Writing your own software to optimise impulse-thrust-event multiple-gravity-assist interplanetary trajectories is hard, and you'll need a thorough grounding in the theory. The best book for me was A.V. Labunsky's (http://reference.routledge-ny.com/books.cfm?isbn=905699090X).
I'm unaware of any gravity-assist freeware on the Web, but AGI's commercial STK Astrogator (www.stk.com) has a 30-day free trial option. Bill Clark at UTexas' Center for Celestial Mechanics (http://www.inviticus.com) is a helpful tutor, as is C. David Eagle, author of "Interplanetary Trajectory Optimisation." Why not sidestep ballistics somewhat and go for a direct-to-Jupiter solar sail flight? Colin R. McInnes' "Solar Sailing: Technology, Dynamics and Mission Applications" (Springer-Verlag, London, ISBN 1-85233-102-X, 1999. 296 pages, hb £45) has all the required algorithms. Many of these are also applicable to other low-thrust propulsion systems such as nuclear electric propulsion, pulsed-inductive-thrusting and even VASIMR. Hope this helps, Ed Kite > G'Day all, > > I'm a 4th year University student in Australia, completing a thesis on a > possible mission to Europa to determine the contents of the sub-ice-layer > ocean. I was wondering if anyone could help with some references regarding > actually travelling to Europa. I believe that the most efficient trajectory > is through a VEEGA transfer, but I was wondering if anyone knew of refernces > to calculate the dates of launch windows, trajectories, and arrival and > fly-by dates. I would prefer to do these calculations myself, rather than > simply enter numbers into a JAVA script or other like program. Any help > would be greatly appreciated, > > Michael Krischunas == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
