Ascent Trajectory Optimization Using Second-Order Birkhoff Pseudospectral Methods

This paper proposes a novel convex optimization framework for two-stage launch vehicle (TSLV) ascent trajectory planning from liftoff to orbit insertion, featuring two groundbreaking advancements over existing convex optimization methodologies: (1) an innovative second-order Birkhoff pseudospectral...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaopeng Xue, Yujia Xie, Hui Zhou, Qinghai Gong, Dangjun Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Aerospace
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/2/141
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Summary:This paper proposes a novel convex optimization framework for two-stage launch vehicle (TSLV) ascent trajectory planning from liftoff to orbit insertion, featuring two groundbreaking advancements over existing convex optimization methodologies: (1) an innovative second-order Birkhoff pseudospectral (BPS) method is developed that reduces the number of dynamic equality constraints by 50% compared to traditional PS methods, meanwhile, an augmented variable transcription technique is used to formulate inequality constraints; therefore, the sparsity ratio of the inequality matrix is reduced to less than 1%; (2) a new iterative solution strategy initialized by a few guesses is proposed to efficiently obtain the optimal solution. The framework is rigorously supported by theoretical convergence guarantees and validated through comprehensive numerical experiments. The numerical results demonstrate around a 50% reduction in computational time compared to the differential PS baseline method. With the significantly reduced computational cost, the proposed method exhibits strong potential for real-time onboard implementation in the future.
ISSN:2226-4310