Closed, self-contained ballistic apogee detection module and method

A method of steering a ballistic projectile comprising:

• firing or launching a ballistic projectile having a body and a nose;
• detecting or predicting the projectile's ballistic apogee by computing a ballistic trajectory estimate using a plurality of sensors each having a measurement signal associated therewith and a computer processor all enclosed entirely within the projectile and without reference to barometric pressure;
• and
• at the detected or predicted apogee or at some time related thereto, actuating at least one flow effector to steer the ballistic projectile and transmitting a signal to the fuze that arms the fuze,
• wherein the plurality of sensors and computer processor are comprised in a single, modular enclosure within the projectile and is adapted to use only data from the sensors during flight with no external data or a priori knowledge required.

A method of reconfiguring the airframe of a ballistic projectile comprising:

• firing or launching a ballistic projectile having a self-contained apogee detection module and a fuze;
• the self-contained apogee detection module detecting or predicting the projectile's ballistic apogee by computing a ballistic trajectory estimate using a plurality of sensors each having a measurement signal associated therewith and a computer processor all within the projectile and without reference to barometric pressure;
• and
• at the detected or predicted apogee or at some time related thereto, the apogee detection module transmitting a signal that reconfigures the airframe of the ballistic projectile and/or arms the fuze,
• wherein the self-contained apogee detection module is comprised in a single, modular enclosure within the projectile and is adapted to use only data from the self-contained apogee detection module with no external data or a priori knowledge required.