Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
An entry guidance concept, similar to that of the Space Shuttle, is considered for the reusable launch vehicle (RLV). But the reference trajectory de ned by drag pro le is parameterized and optimized as piecewise linear functions of the energy. Analytical expressions for accurate downrange distance prediction and a performance index, theaccumulatedheat load,are obtained.A regularizationtechniqueisemployed toachievedesired properties of the optimal drag pro le. These results enable fast design of constrained optimal trajectories for both offline studies and possible onboard application. A nonlinear control law is derived for trajectory tracking, which guarantees globallyasymptoticallystable tracking of the reference drag pro le. Numerical results for a conceptual RLV are provided to demonstrate the optimal design of drag pro les and the performance of the trajectory control law under a variety of off-nominal conditions and navigationerrors in altitude rate.
Ping Lu (Wed,) studied this question.