Optimum control of a vehicle into a lunar orbit.
Trajectory optimization as part of real time flight operations in Lunar Orbiter program
LUNAR ORBITER↗
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Results for “vehicle trajectory”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Dragonfly Mission Entry and Descent Modeling and Simulation Overview
Dragonfly is a New Frontiers Program mission, led by The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, that will deliver a rotorcraft lander to Saturn’s moon, Titan. The focus of this work is to analyze the trajectory of the entry vehicle from cruise stage separation until lander separation. This analysis is done by the NASA Langley Research Center Entry, Descent, and Landing team using the Program to Optimize Trajectories II. This paper provides an overview of the current design and the robustness of the overall entry sequence using a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. The work presented in this study includes the updated design, models, and analysis completed since the Dragonfly Entry, Descent, and Landing Mission Preliminary Design Review.
Simulation↗
Dragonfly Mission Entry and Descent Modeling and Simulation Overview
Dragonfly is a New Frontiers Program mission, led by The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, that will deliver a rotorcraft lander to Saturn’s moon, Titan. The focus of this work is to analyze the trajectory of the entry vehicle from cruise stage separation until lander separation. This analysis is done by the NASA Langley Research Center Entry, Descent, and Landing team using the Program to Optimize Trajectories II. This paper provides an overview of the current design and the robustness of the overall entry sequence using a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. The work presented in this study includes the updated design, models, and analysis completed since the Dragonfly Entry, Descent, and Landing Mission Preliminary Design Review.
Simulation↗
A Method for Longitudinal and Lateral Range Control for a High-Drag Low-Lift Vehicle Entering the Atmosphere of a Rotating Earth
A study has been made of a method for controlling the trajectory of a high-drag low-lift entry vehicle to a desired longitude and latitude on the surface of a rotating earth. By use of this control technique the vehicle can be guided to the desired point when the present position and heading of the vehicle are known and the desired longitude and latitude are specified. The present study makes use of a single reference trajectory and an estimate of the lift and side-force capabilities of the vehicle. This information is stored in a control-logic system and used with linear control equations to guide the vehicle to the desired destination. Results are presented of a number of trajectory studies which describe the operation of the control system and illustrate its ability to control the vehicle trajectory to the desired landing area.
Young, John W.↗
Study of structural bending adaptive control techniques for large launch vehicles Technical summary report, volume I
Application of spectral identification adaptive control system to large launch vehicle in complete closed loop trajectory simulation
ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM↗
The iterative guidance law for Saturn.
Iterative guidance law for Saturn launch vehicle for lunar landing, examining trajectory optimization
TRAJECTORY OPTIMIZATION↗
Nozzle selection for optimized single-stage shuttles
A computerized preliminary design procedure has been used to determine rocket-engine bell-nozzle configurations which achieve either minimum gross mass or minimum dry mass on an advanced technology winged single-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle. This procedure evaluates the trade offs between the optimized ascent flight trajectory performance and the flight vehicle sizing driven by the engine mass and propellant requirements. Numerous mission, flight, and vehicle related requirements and constraints are satisfied in this process. Propulsion system configurations which incorporate dual-position nozzles are evaluated and compared to configurations using all fixed nozzles.
Eldred, C. H.↗
Tethered body problems and relative motion orbit determination
Selected problems dealing with orbiting tethered body systems have been studied. In addition, a relative motion orbit determination program was developed. Results from these tasks are described and discussed. The expected tethered body motions were examined, analytically, to ascertain what influence would be played by the physical parameters of the tether, the gravity gradient and orbit eccentricity. After separating the motion modes these influences were determined; and, subsequently, the effects of oscillations and/or rotations, on tether force, were described. A study was undertaken, by examining tether motions, to see what type of control actions would be needed to accurately place a mass particle at a prescribed position relative to a main vehicle. Other applications for tethers were studied. Principally these were concerned with the producing of low-level gee forces by means of stabilized tether configurations; and, the initiation of free transfer trajectories from tether supported vehicle relative positions.
Eades, J. B., Jr.↗
Mission Design Considerations for a Low-Thrust Spacecraft
Developing an executable low-thrust trajectory for use in a spaceflight mission requires the design and optimization of a deterministic trajectory as well as the validation that the selected architecture is robust to some set of uncertainties, execution errors, and potential contingencies. Uncertainty in the ability of the spacecraft and its launch vehicle to execute a trajectory as well as potential deviations such as in-flight anomalies combine with design-to constraints and requirements to complicate the optimization problem. The approach by which robust mission design was accomplished for the initial capability of NASA’s Gateway is presented as well as associated results.
NRHO↗
Mission Design Considerations for a Low-Thrust Spacecraft
Developing an executable low-thrust trajectory for use in a spaceflight mission requires the design and optimization of a deterministic trajectory as well as the validation that the selected architecture is robust to some set of uncertainties, execution errors, and potential contingencies. Uncertainty in the ability of the spacecraft and its launch vehicle to execute a trajectory as well as potential deviations such as in-flight anomalies combine with design-to constraints and requirements to complicate the optimization problem. The approach by which robust mission design was accomplished for the initial capability of NASA’s Gateway is presented as well as associated results.
mission design↗
An experimental determination in Calspan Ludwieg tube of the base environment of the integrated space shuttle vehicle at simulated Mach 4.5 flight conditions (test IH5 of model 19-OTS)
A model test program was conducted to determine heat transfer and pressure distributions in the base region of the space shuttle vehicle during simulated launch trajectory conditions of Mach 4.5 and pressure altitudes between 90,000 and 210,000 feet. Model configurations with and without the solid propellant booster rockets were examined to duplicate pre- and post-staging vehicle geometries. Using short duration flow techniques, a tube wind tunnel provided supersonic flow over the model. Simultaneously, combustion generated exhaust products reproduced the gasdynamic and thermochemical structure of the main vehicle engine plumes. Heat transfer and pressure measurements were made at numerous locations on the base surfaces of the 19-OTS space shuttle model with high response instrumentation. In addition, measurements of base recovery temperature were made indirectly by using dual fine wire and resistance thermometers and by extrapolating heat transfer measurements.
Drzewiecki, R. F.↗
Demonstration of an Aerocapture GN and C System Through Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations
Aerocapture is an orbit insertion maneuver in which a spacecraft flies through a planetary atmosphere one time using drag force to decelerate and effect a hyperbolic to elliptical orbit change. Aerocapture employs a feedback Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) system to deliver the spacecraft into a precise postatmospheric orbit despite the uncertainties inherent in planetary atmosphere knowledge, entry targeting and aerodynamic predictions. Only small amounts of propellant are required for attitude control and orbit adjustments, thereby providing mass savings of hundreds to thousands of kilograms over conventional all-propulsive techniques. The Analytic Predictor Corrector (APC) guidance algorithm has been developed to steer the vehicle through the aerocapture maneuver using bank angle control. Through funding provided by NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program, the operation of an aerocapture GN&C system has been demonstrated in high-fidelity simulations that include real-time hardware in the loop, thus increasing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of aerocapture GN&C. First, a non-real-time (NRT), 6-DOF trajectory simulation was developed for the aerocapture trajectory. The simulation included vehicle dynamics, gravity model, atmosphere model, aerodynamics model, inertial measurement unit (IMU) model, attitude control thruster torque models, and GN&C algorithms (including the APC aerocapture guidance). The simulation used the vehicle and mission parameters from the ST-9 mission. A 2000 case Monte Carlo simulation was performed and results show an aerocapture success rate of greater than 99.7%, greater than 95% of total delta-V required for orbit insertion is provided by aerodynamic drag, and post-aerocapture orbit plane wedge angle error is less than 0.5 deg (3-sigma). Then a real-time (RT), 6-DOF simulation for the aerocapture trajectory was developed which demonstrated the guidance software executing on a flight-like computer, interfacing with a simulated IMU and simulated thrusters, with vehicle dynamics provided by an external simulator. Five cases from the NRT simulations were run in the RT simulation environment. The results compare well to those of the NRT simulation thus verifying the RT simulation configuration. The results of the above described simulations show the aerocapture maneuver using the APC algorithm can be accomplished reliably and the algorithm is now at TRL-6. Flight validation is the next step for aerocapture technology development.
Masciarelli, James↗
Shuttle Orbiter Contingency Abort Aerodynamics: Real-Gas Effects and High Angles of Attack
An important element of the Space Shuttle Orbiter safety improvement plan is the improved understanding of its aerodynamic performance so as to minimize the "black zones" in the contingency abort trajectories [1]. These zones are regions in the launch trajectory where it is predicted that, due to vehicle limitations, the Orbiter will be unable to return to the launch site in a two or three engine-out scenario. Reduction of these zones requires accurate knowledge of the aerodynamic forces and moments to better assess the structural capability of the vehicle. An interesting aspect of the contingency abort trajectories is that the Orbiter would need to achieve angles of attack as high as 60deg. Such steep attitudes are much higher than those for a nominal flight trajectory. The Orbiter is currently flight certified only up to an angle of attack of 44deg at high Mach numbers and has never flown at angles of attack larger than this limit. Contingency abort trajectories are generated using the data in the Space Shuttle Operational Aerodynamic Data Book (OADB) [2]. The OADB, a detailed document of the aerodynamic environment of the current Orbiter, is primarily based on wind-tunnel measurements (over a wide Mach number and angle-of-attack range) extrapolated to flight conditions using available theories and correlations, and updated with flight data where available. For nominal flight conditions, i.e., angles of attack of less than 45deg, the fidelity of the OADB is excellent due to the availability of flight data. However, at the off-nominal conditions, such as would be encountered on contingency abort trajectories, the fidelity of the OADB is less certain. The primary aims of a recent collaborative effort (completed in the year 2001) between NASA and Boeing were to determine: 1) accurate distributions of pressure and shear loads on the Orbiter at select points in the contingency abort trajectory space; and 2) integrated aerodynamic forces and moments for the entire vehicle and the control surfaces (body flap, speed brake, and elevons). The latter served the useful purpose of verification of the aerodynamic characteristics that went into the generation of the abort trajectories.
Prabhu, Dinesh K.↗
Low-Thrust Transfer to Interplanetary Trajectories from Lunar Trajectories with Rideshare
Accessing interplanetary space is challenging when using low thrust systems. Injecting spacecraft onto interplanetary trajectories is difficult with small launch vehicles, but it is possible to instead transfer to an interplanetary trajectory from a lunar flyby. Such cases are useful, for example, in rideshares between lunar and interplanetary missions. This work examines the problem of rideshare for small satellites onto lunar flyby trajectories, with transfers to an interplanetary trajectory. Low thrust interplanetary trajectories are examined starting from a rideshare mission on a lunar trajectory using delivery systems based on a modified Rocket Lab USA Electron vehicle and Photon stage.
Darcey R Graham↗
Optimal aeroassisted coplanar orbital transfer using an energy model
The atmospheric portion of the trajectories for the aeroassisted coplanar orbit transfer was investigated. The equations of motion for the problem are expressed using reduced order model and total vehicle energy, kinetic plus potential, as the independent variable rather than time. The order reduction is achieved analytically without an approximation of the vehicle dynamics. In this model, the problem of coplanar orbit transfer is seen as one in which a given amount of energy must be transferred from the vehicle to the atmosphere during the trajectory without overheating the vehicle. An optimal control problem is posed where a linear combination of the integrated square of the heating rate and the vehicle drag is the cost function to be minimized. The necessary conditions for optimality are obtained. These result in a 4th order two-point-boundary-value problem. A parametric study of the optimal guidance trajectory in which the proportion of the heating rate term versus the drag varies is made. Simulations of the guidance trajectories are presented.
Halyo, Nesim↗
Conceptual Design Study for a Mars Entry Vehicle Damper
Design criteria of passive damping system for Mars entry vehicle - damping of angle of attack oscillation during entry trajectory
MARS PROBE↗
The Multi-Mission Earth Entry Vehicle for Sample Return Missions – Past, Present, and Future
The Multi-Mission Earth Entry Vehicle (MMEEV) is an enabling technology developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC) over the last two decades for returning samples to Earth across a wide array of space science missions. Currently, the MMEEV is being considered for NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. The original vehicle concept, the Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV), was innovated at LaRC in 1998 as a robust solution to return Mars soil samples to Earth under stringent backward contamination requirements. These backward contamination requirements drove the EEV to have higher reliability than any capsule previously designed for a return-to-Earth sample return mission. The EEV achieved this high reliability by employing a passive (no active systems) vehicle architecture optimized for fault tolerance in a compact, low-mass configuration that is extensible to virtually any sample return mission. The original EEV concept utilized a carbon-carbon primary structure with high-density carbon phenolic thermal protection system. The capsule had a 60-degree sphere-cone forebody and a backshell geometry uniquely tailored to produce aerodynamics that would passively re-orient the vehicle if it entered the atmosphere with an off-nominal attitude. Contrary to every other sample return capsule conceived at the time, the EEV was designed to land without a parachute. The vehicle incorporated an integral energy-absorbing crushable structure that protected the Mars sample for landings on surfaces ranging from soft soil to solid concrete. This paper describes 20 years of technological advancements LaRC has incorporated into the EEV architecture to evolve it from the original, MSR-enabling vehicle, to a true multi-mission capability relevant to any sample return mission. The vehicle’s unique Integrated Composite Stiffener Structure (ICoSS) has been optimized for specific strength - supporting high-G atmospheric entries with steep entry angles that produce precise landing footprints on the ground. The vehicle geometry has been refined through wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics simulations to improve the vehicle’s aerodynamic stability and robustness to off-nominal conditions from hypersonic to subsonic flight. The resulting configuration of the current MMEEV architecture is described, with details provided on its sample carrying capacity and atmospheric entry trajectory capabilities. The upgraded vehicle performance is mapped into current space science objectives, showing how the MMEEV supports future sample return missions and continues to be an enabling technology for NASA’s vision to return samples from Mars.
J M Corliss↗
Program For Simulating Dynamics Of Aerospace Vehicles
SORT (Simulation and Optimization of Rocket Trajectories) is general-purpose three-degree-of-freedom with three axis static moment balance simulation of flight dynamics of arbitrary aerospace vehicle. Modular structure facilitates application to variety of trajectory-analysis problems. Contains math model of aerodynamics completely generalized. Computes both longitudinal and lateral forces and moments. In addition to fore-body coefficients, computes longitudinal base effect aerodynamic forces and moments. Simplified ballistic-coefficient model also available for analysis of ballistic entry. Written using ANSI FORTRAN 77.
Berning, M. J.↗