Energy-angular momentum closed-loop guidance for launch vehicles
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorRussell Paul Patera
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method for launch vehicle guidance is disclosed. A pre-computed energy-angular momentum (E-J) curve to place a launch vehicle into a target orbit is received and stored. An energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle are computed from state vector data while the launch vehicle is traveling to the target orbit. The pre-computed E-J curve and the computed energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle are used to determine pitch and pitch rate of the launch vehicle.
Claims30
A computer program embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program configured to cause at least one processor to:
- receive and store a pre-computed energy-angular momentum (E-J) curve to place a launch vehicle into a target orbit;
- compute an energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle from state vector data while the launch vehicle is traveling to the target orbit;
- and
- use the pre-computed E-J curve and the computed energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle to determine pitch and pitch rate of the launch vehicle.
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- receiving and storing a pre-computed energy-angular momentum (E-J) curve to place a launch vehicle into a target orbit;
- computing an energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle from state vector data while the launch vehicle is traveling to the target orbit;
- and
- using the pre-computed E-J curve and the computed energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle to determine pitch and pitch rate of the launch vehicle.
An apparatus, comprising:
- physical memory comprising computer program instructions;
- and
- at least one processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, the at least one processor configured to:
- receive and store a pre-computed energy-angular momentum (E-J) curve to place a launch vehicle into a target orbit;
- compute an energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle from state vector data while the launch vehicle is traveling to the target orbit;
- and
- use the pre-computed E-J curve and the computed energy, angular momentum, radial distance, velocity magnitude, and flight path angle of the launch vehicle to determine pitch and pitch rate of the launch vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.