Jack: I think I have played with a variety of lunar positions and where this
problem happens, the vehicle is so close to the Earth that I find lunar
factors come out small. I am using -GM/r for potential energy.
Leigh: This is clearly an accelerated frame ( I had over looked that) and I
can see there must be centrifugal effects. I have not heard of centrifual
potential before and have not figured out how to determine it. If it is a
positive value that will help me. Can you give me further guidance? Also you
wrote:
"....namely an implicitly rotating frame in which Earth and Moon are at
rest."
Is it the Earths rotation, our platform of observation, or the curved
trajectory that is the culprit, or both?