Optimal Reentry Guidance for Aeroassisted Orbit Transfer Vehicles

A three-state model is presented for analyzing the problem of optimal changes in heading with minimum energy loss for a hypersonic gliding vehicle. A further model order reduction to a single state model is examined using singular perturbation theory. the optimal solution for the reduced problem defines an optimal altitude profile dependent on the current energy of the vehicle. A separate boundary layer analysis is used to account for altitude and flight path angle dynamics, and to obtain lift and bank angle control solutions. By considering alternative approximations to solve the boundary layer problem, three guidance laws are obtained, each having a feedback form. The guidance laws are evaluated for a hypothetical vehicle, and compared to an optimal solution obtained using a multiple shooting algorithm.