Preliminary planer formation-flight dynamics near sun-earth L2 point

A few space agencies are planning missions to the vicinity of the Sun-Earth L-2 point, some involving a distributed space system of telescope spacecraft, configured in a plane about a hub. An improved understanding is developed of the relative motion of such objects in formation flight. The telescope equations of motion are written relative to the hub, in terms of the hub's distance from L-2, and an analytical solution is developed, useful for performing orbit control analysis. A halo telescope orbit is investigated, with initial conditions selected to avoid resonance excitation. An example case of the resulting solution is presented.