On the Lambert problem with drag (Q6069636)

The Lambert problem consists in finding a Keplerian orbit going from a point A to a point B in a given flight time T. One should first ask if such an orbit exists and if it is unique. The answer is surprisingly uniform. It is nearly independent of the parameters A and B. The number of solutions depends in a simple, monotone way of T. The author reviews the old history of the question and recent complete proofs. He extends several proofs to the case where the orbiting body is subjected to a linear drag. The author proposes a simple formula for this drag, together with simple boundedness conditions, and proves the existence of the simple Keplerian arc. He discusses the uniqueness and proves it in the case of a vertical trajectory. The singularity of the problem due to the possibility of a collision of the orbiting body with the center of gravitational attraction is carefully discussed and analytically resolved.