Launch Vehicle Trajectories with a Dynamic Pressure Constraint

摘要

The problem of three-dimensional launch trajectories for the advanced launch system to minimize fuel or equivalently maximize payload is considered. A dynamic pressure inequality constraint is involved due to its significance on the resulting trajectories and structure of the launch vehicle. Highly accurate solutions and exact switching structures of the optimal trajectories are presented by using a multiple shooting method. The multiple shooting structure is modified to satisfy the internal boundary conditions and discontinuities in variables at entry and exit points of the boundary arc. A methodology is also developed to visualize the optimal controls in a geometric sense using hodograph analysis.