Correction: Predictive Flight Trajectory for Low Thrust-to-Weight Ratio Airplanes Approaching Microburst

Low-Thrust, High-Accuracy Trajectory Optimization

Multirevolution, very low-thrust trajectory optimization problems have long been considered difficult problems due to their large time scales and high-frequency responses. By relating this difficulty to the well-known problem of aliasing in information theory, an antialiasing trajectory optimization method is developed. The method is based on Bellman’s principle of optimality and is extremely s...

Model Predictive Control of a Thrust-vectored Flight Control Experiment

Model predictive control (MPC) is applied to the Caltech ducted fan, a thrust-vectored flight experiment. A real-time trajectory generation software based on spline theory and sequential quadratic programming is used to implement the MPC controllers. Timing issues related to the computation and implementation of repeatedly updated optimal trajectories are discussed. Results show computational s...

Low-Thrust Maneuvers for the Efficient Correction of Orbital Elements

In this study, low-thrust strategies aimed at the modification of specific orbital elements are investigated and presented. Closed loop guidance laws, steering the initial value of a given orbital element to a target value, are derived, implemented and tested. The thrust laws have been defined analyzing the Gauss form of the Lagrange Planetary Equations isolating the relevant contributions to c...

Low - Thrust Trajectory Optimization Using Stochastic Optimization Methods

High-Fidelity Low-Thrust Trajectory Determination Research and Analysis

This document discusses a numerical analysis method for low thrust trajectory propagation known as the proximity quotient or Q-Law. The process uses a Lyapunov feedback control law developed by Petropoulos [1] to propagate trajectories of spacecraft by minimizing the user defined function at the target orbit. A simplified propagator is created from the core mechanics of this method in MATLAB an...