Flight control for an airborne wind turbine

A non-transitory computer readable storage memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a computing device that includes one or more processors, causes the computing device to perform functions comprising:

• receiving, by the one or more processors, data indicating an initial position and an initial attitude of an aircraft configured to be coupled to a ground station via a tether, wherein the aircraft includes an actuator configured to change a position and an attitude of the aircraft;
• based on the received data, determining, by the one or more processors, a first level of thrust that, when provided by the actuator, facilitates changing a first attribute of the position or the attitude of the aircraft to a subsequent position or a subsequent attitude;
• based on the received data, determining, by the one or more processors, a second level of thrust that, when provided by the actuator, facilitates changing a second attribute of the position or the attitude of the aircraft to the subsequent position or the subsequent attitude;
• determining, by the one or more processors, that the first level of thrust conflicts with the second level of thrust;
• and
• in response to determining that the first level of thrust conflicts with the second level of thrust, causing the actuator to provide the first level of thrust based on a priority sequence that prioritizes the first attribute above the second attribute.

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform functions comprising:
• receiving, by the one or more processors, data indicating an initial position and an initial attitude of an aircraft configured to be coupled to a ground station via a tether, wherein the aircraft includes an actuator configured to change a position and an attitude of the aircraft;
• based on the received data, determining, by the one or more processors, a first level of thrust that, when provided by the actuator, facilitates changing a first attribute of the position or the attitude of the aircraft to a subsequent position or a subsequent attitude;
• based on the received data, determining, by the one or more processors, a second level of thrust that, when provided by the actuator, facilitates changing a second attribute of the position or the attitude of the aircraft to the subsequent position or the subsequent attitude;
• determining, by the one or more processors, that the first level of thrust conflicts with the second level of thrust;
• and
• in response to determining that the first level of thrust conflicts with the second level of thrust, causing the actuator to provide the first level of thrust based on a priority sequence that prioritizes the first attribute above the second attribute.