Delta-V-Based Strategies in Orbital Pursuit-Evasion-Interception Game

This paper introduces game theory into the realm of strategic analysis concerning two-to-one orbital pursuit-evasion games, involving a pursuer, an evader, and an interceptor. The study establishes diverse strategies for both coordinated pursuit and non-cooperative evasion scenarios, subsequently determining equilibrium strategies for both pursuers and evaders through the application of pairwise competition outcomes. The coordination mechanism between the two pursuers transforms the initial two-pursuer-one-evader (2P-E) game into a composite pursuit-evasion game (P2-(P1-E)). To resolve the pursuit-evasion (P-E) game, the MinMax bilateral optimization algorithm is employed. Within the composite pursuit-evasion game, the coordinated pursuit strategy is orchestrated by the second pursuer (P2), involving the anticipation and tracking of the selected outcome of P1-E. Subsequently, the evader orchestrates an optimal counterplay by predicting the plausible role allocations and strategies of the pursuers in reverse. By shedding light on these equilibrium strategies, this research contributes to the optimization of pursuit and evasion tactics within orbital scenarios, with the potential to inform and enhance strategic decision-making in space mission planning.