Entry trajectory planning with terminal full states constraints and multiple geographic constraints

This paper proposes an online entry trajectory planning algorithm satisfying terminal full states constraints, path constraints and multiple geographic constraints for lifting-body entry vehicles. The vehicle is considered as a 3DOF point mass. The entry trajectory is divided into the initial descent phase, gliding phase and terminal guidance phase. In the gliding phase, a piecewise polynomial in the altitude-versus-velocity plane is used to plan the longitudinal trajectory and a new heading angle corridor based bank angle reversal logic is designed to satisfy all geographic constraints simultaneously. In the terminal guidance phase, an optimal guidance law with terminal angle constraints is adopted to generate the trajectory. Finally, the terminal full states constraints including terminal velocity direction constraints are implemented by iterating over the altitude in the gliding phase. Then the highly constrained entry trajectory planning problem is converted into a one-parameter search problem. The key of this planning algorithm is the use of terminal guidance phase, through which the terminal velocity direction is constrained strictly rather than kept around the line-of-sight angle and the range error caused by great arc assumption is also avoided. Simulation results with the CAV-H model show that this algorithm can generate entry trajectories satisfying complex constraints rapidly and is suitable for various missions.