Evolutionary optimization of deflection missions with fly-by manoeuvre

The Earth, as the other celestial bodies in Solar System, is continuously exposed to impact hazard with bodies coming from space. The goal of this study is to find the op-timal solution for a PHO (Potentially Hazardous Object) deflection mission with a kinetic impactor. An evolutionary algorithm, which combines the results obtained in parallel by dierential evolution (DE), genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), is employed. Once identified a reference PHO, it has been considered an Earth-Asteroid mission that exploits the high mass of Jupiter to obtain a free velocity change performing a fly-by of the planet. The higher relative velocity at impact involves a higher deflection eect on PHO’s trajectory. Spacecraft’s direct and retrograde motion has been considered