Title: Numerical Optimization Study of Multiple-Pass Aeroassisted Orbital Transfer
Presentation Slides


A direct transcription method is applied to the problem of multiple-pass aeroassisted orbital transfer from geostationary orbit to low Earth orbit with a large inclination change. The objective is to provide minimum-impulse requirements and corresponding optimal trajectories for a gliding vehicle with a high lift-to-drag ratio subject to constraints on heating rate, angle of attack, and transfer time. The multiple-pass aeroassisted orbital transfer problem is set up as a multi-phase optimal control problem. All relevant parameters, including de-orbiting, intermediate, and circularizing impulses, are optimized.