Project Title: Development of Orbit Optimisation Methods for Highly Nonlinear Dynamic Systems

Project Leader: Dr. İbrahim Halil CİHAN, Assistant Professor
Faculty of Aerospace Sciences 
Department of Aerospace Engineering

Research Institution: University of Washington, United States of America  

Project Duration: 12 Months  

Within the scope of the project, new generation orbit optimisation and guidance algorithms based on convex optimisation, suitable for highly non-linear dynamic systems, will be developed for high-energy atmospheric re-entry missions such as returning from the Moon to Earth. In particular, multi-stage re-entry manoeuvres, known as skip-entry, where the spacecraft briefly exits the atmosphere and then re-enters, will be addressed. The study will develop a novel guidance approach based on sequential convexification, which is real-time applicable and simultaneously satisfies critical atmospheric flight constraints such as heat load, dynamic pressure, and structural limits. The algorithms to be developed will be tested for different re-entry profiles, such as skip, loft, and direct, and their performance will be evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations under atmospheric uncertainties and deviations in entry conditions. The research will be conducted at the University of Washington – Autonomous Controls Laboratory, which has internationally pioneering work in the field of convex optimisation-based guidance and control.