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On-Line Trajectory Retargeting for Alternate Landing Sites

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNM04AA53C
Agency Tracking Number: 034642
Amount: $69,961.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A4.01
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2003
Award Year: 2004
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2004-01-16
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2004-07-19
Small Business Information
1160 Pepsi Place, Suite300
Charlottesville, VA 22901-0807
United States
DUNS: 120839477
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 John Schierman
 Principal Investigator
 (434) 973-1215
 schierman@barron-associates.com
Business Contact
 David Ward
Title: Business Official
Phone: (434) 973-1215
Email: barron@barron-associates.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Barron Associates, Inc. proposes to develop a novel on-line trajectory optimization approach for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) under failure scenarios, targeting alternative abort-landing sites. Key features of the proposed approach are:
An innovative on-line optimization approach: By describing decision variables (variables whose optimal solutions are sought) in terms of appropriate basis functions, the trajectory optimization problem can be reformulated to find the relatively few basis function coefficients that characterize the desired trajectory. This significantly reduces the search domain, enabling rapid convergence to feasible solutions. This key idea will be coupled with a numerical optimization approach known as Piecewise Linear Programming (PLP), which has been used successfully in related programs requiring on-line, real-time optimal solu-tions.
A generic bootstrapping capability: To improve the speed and robustness of the on-line procedure, a method will be developed to generate initializing trajectories for the on-line optimization that are suitable for all recoverable ranges, vehicle configurations, energy conditions, and abort scenarios.
Phase I simulation studies will demonstrate on-line generation of alternative re-entry trajectories for dif-ferent landing targets and vehicle configurations. Computation time and accuracy will be assessed from the simulation studies.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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