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Enhancements on the Convex Programming Based Powered Descent Guidance Algorithm for Mars LandingIn this paper, we present enhancements on the powered descent guidance algorithm developed for Mars pinpoint landing. The guidance algorithm solves the powered descent minimum fuel trajectory optimization problem via a direct numerical method. Our main contribution is to formulate the trajectory optimization problem, which has nonconvex control constraints, as a finite dimensional convex optimization problem, specifically as a finite dimensional second order cone programming (SOCP) problem. SOCP is a subclass of convex programming, and there are efficient SOCP solvers with deterministic convergence properties. Hence, the resulting guidance algorithm can potentially be implemented onboard a spacecraft for real-time applications. Particularly, this paper discusses the algorithmic improvements obtained by: (i) Using an efficient approach to choose the optimal time-of-flight; (ii) Using a computationally inexpensive way to detect the feasibility/ infeasibility of the problem due to the thrust-to-weight constraint; (iii) Incorporating the rotation rate of the planet into the problem formulation; (iv) Developing additional constraints on the position and velocity to guarantee no-subsurface flight between the time samples of the temporal discretization; (v) Developing a fuel-limited targeting algorithm; (vi) Initial result on developing an onboard table lookup method to obtain almost fuel optimal solutions in real-time.
Document ID
20150014802
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Acikmese, Behcet
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Blackmore, Lars
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Scharf, Daniel P.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Wolf, Aron
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 3, 2015
Publication Date
August 18, 2008
Subject Category
Computer Programming And Software
Astrodynamics
Meeting Information
Meeting: 2008 AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialists Conference
Location: Honolulu, HI
Country: United States
Start Date: August 18, 2008
End Date: August 21, 2008
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Astronautical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Guidance

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