How to plot/visualize (elliptical) orbits of celestial objects in heliocentric reference frame?

Hi guys!

I'm solving numerical problems of celestial mechanics in Fortran, the data pre-processing and post-processing is performed in Matlab instead.

My problem is to find "design of low-energy trajectories to Near Earth Objects". So it is an interplanetary transfer to small bodies (asteroids and comets) of the Solar system.

Firstly I need to plot an heliocentric reference frame, the Earth orbit and some asteroids orbit, then I want to plot the trajectory of the spacecraft.

Can you help me?

[David Hill]

Did you search the file exchange? Seems like there are a few files that might be helpful.

[Giuseppe]

Hi @David Hill yes, I did. But for now I found only Earth-centered functions.

[James Tursa]

Does your current code generate the 3D position data of the bodies? I.e., do you have the data but are just asking about plotting in 3D in MATLAB? Or are you also asking how to generate the 3D data given orbital elements?

[Giuseppe]

Hi @James Tursa, for now I have the six orbital parameters of 55 asteroids, and I would like to plot (3D and 2D) their orbits whitin an heliocentric reference frame.

Something like this (from NASA JPL solar system dynamics website):