Glide trajectory optimization for aerospace vehicles

A computer-implemented method for in-flight trajectory steering a vehicle to a target destination, said method comprising:

• incorporating a plurality of physical constants for gravitational acceleration and atmospheric conditions;
• setting initial angle of attack (AoA) and initial AoA rate for the vehicle along an initial trajectory as respective flight AoA and flight AoA rate;
• incrementing said flight AoA from said initial AoA and prior increments;
• measuring a plurality of operation parameters of the vehicle, including measured dynamic pressure, measured altitude, measured velocity and measured flight path angle;
• establishing an operational glide trajectory to the target destination based on said operation parameters using said physical constants from said initial trajectory;
• calculating an optimal trajectory with estimated altitude and estimated velocity by setting a control state as
• p
• γ
• =
• ⌊
• ∂
• D
• /
• ∂
• α
• ∂
• L
• /
• ∂
• α
• ⌋
• ⁢
• p
• V
• ⁢
• V
• ,
• such that α is said AoA as control variable, pi is an adjoint variable with subscript i being γ for flight angle and V for velocity, D is drag and L is lift;
• comparing said operational glide trajectory to said optimal trajectory as a steering correction for altering said flight AoA and said flight AoA rate;
• and
• commanding flight control of the vehicle to execute said steering correction of said flight AoA and said flight AoA rate.