Related papers: Optimizing low-thrust and gravity assist maneuvers…
A control optimization approach is presented for a chaser spacecraft tasked with maintaining proximity to a target space object while avoiding collisions. The target object trajectory is provided numerically to account for both passive…
In this paper we present a new approach to solve the fuel-efficient powered descent guidance problem on large planetary bodies with no atmosphere (e.g. the Moon or Mars) using the recently developed Theory of Functional Connections. The…
Locomotion in microgravity often relies on sparsely and irregularly arranged anchors, motivating grasp-based mobility with multiple limbs. In this setting, dynamic locomotion is feasible only through deliberate regulation of both anchored…
This paper introduces a first-order method for solving optimal powered descent guidance (PDG) problems, that directly handles the nonconvex constraints associated with the maximum and minimum thrust bounds with varying mass and the pointing…
We propose a novel approach to utilize low-cadence photometric surveys for exoplanetary transit search. Even if transits are undetectable in the survey database alone, it can still be useful for finding preferred times for directed…
This paper describes the methods used and the results obtained by team Karmarkar's Gang for the 10th edition of the Global Trajectory Optimization Competition. The methods used by our team are described. These methods involve: mothership…
In this paper, we propose novel methods to increase total luminosity and decrease error propagation during subluminal or luminal interstellar transits by navigation with star maps. We demonstrate with theoretical and simulation models in…
We propose a robust and efficient framework to generate global trajectories for ground robots in complex 3D environments. The proposed method takes point cloud as input and efficiently constructs a multi-level map using triangular patches…
This paper presents an end-to-end framework for robust structure/control optimization of an industrial benchmark. When dealing with space structures, a reduction of the spacecraft mass is paramount to minimize the mission cost and maximize…
The use of electric low-thrust propulsion systems for orbit maneuvers is becoming a popular choice among satellite manufacturers due to their inherent merits over their chemical counterparts. Many designers choose to incorporate multiple of…
Aircraft failures alter dynamics, diminishing manoeuvrability. Such manoeuvring flight envelope variations, governed by the aircraft's complex nonlinear dynamics, are unpredictable by pilots and existing flight management systems. To…
Accurate gravity field calculations are necessary for landing on planets, moons, asteroids, minimoons, or other irregularly shaped bodies, but current methods become increasingly inaccurate and slow near the surface. We present high…
This paper presents a navigation strategy to fly to the Moon along a Weak Stability Boundary transfer trajectory. A particular strategy is devised to ensure capture into an uncontrolled relatively stable orbit at the Moon. Both uncertainty…
This work presents a novel lattice-based methodology for incorporating multidimensional constraints into continuous decision variables within a genetic algorithm (GA) framework. The proposed approach consolidates established transcription…
This work presents a new method for generating impulsive trajectories in restricted two-body systems by leveraging Riemannian geometry. The proposed method transforms the standard trajectory optimization problem into a purely geometric one…
In this work, we develop a numerically tractable trajectory optimization problem for rest-to-rest attitude transfers with CMG-driven spacecraft. First, we adapt a specialized dynamical model which avoids many of the numerical challenges…
MPC (Model predictive control)-based motion planning and trajectory generation are essential in applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles, robotic manipulators, and rocket control. However, the real-time implementation of such…
Real-time constraint satisfaction for robots can be quite challenging due to the high computational complexity that arises when accounting for the system dynamics and environmental interactions, often requiring simplification in modelling…
This paper introduces a new algorithm for trajectory optimization, Decoupled Reduced-space and Adaptive Feasibility-repair Trajectory Optimization (DRAFTO). It first constructs a constrained objective that accounts for smoothness, safety,…
The minimum-fuel orbital transfer is analyzed in the case of a launcher upper stage using a constantly thrusting engine. The thrust level is assumed to be constant and its value is optimized together with the thrust direction. A closed-loop…