Related papers: Ignition Point Reachability for Aerodynamically-Co…
Successive convex programming (SCP) is a powerful class of direct optimization methods, known for its polynomial complexity and computational efficiency, making it particularly suitable for autonomous applications. Direct methods are also…
Identifying the optimal design of a new launch vehicle is most important since design decisions made in the early development phase limit the vehicles' later performance and determines the associated costs. Reusing the first stage via…
In the event of a total loss of thrust, a pilot must identify a reachable landing site and subsequently execute a forced landing. To do so, they must estimate which region on the ground can be reached safely in gliding flight. We call this…
We present an optimization-based approach for fuel-efficient spacecraft rendezvous to the Gateway, a space station that will be deployed on a near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon. The approach: i) ensures passive safety and…
The growing need for autonomous on-orbit services such as inspection, maintenance, and situational awareness calls for intelligent spacecraft capable of complex maneuvers around large orbital targets. Traditional control systems often fall…
Reliable and efficient trajectory generation methods are a fundamental need for autonomous dynamical systems of tomorrow. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive tutorial of three major convex optimization-based trajectory…
Localizing targets outside the anchors' convex hull is an understudied but prevalent scenario in vehicle-centric, UAV-based, and self-localization applications. Considering such scenarios, this paper studies the optimal anchor placement…
Reachability analysis plays a central role in low-thrust spacecraft trajectory optimization by identifying which target states can be achieved under constraints on time, thrust, and propellant. Classical approaches construct reachable sets…
In this paper we address the speed planning problem for a vehicle along a predefined path. A weighted sum of two conflicting objectives, energy consumption and travel time, is minimized. After deriving a non-convex mathematical model of the…
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…
In this paper, we present a real-time successive convexification algorithm for a generalized free-final-time 6-degree-of-freedom powered descent guidance problem. We build on our previous work by introducing the following contributions: (i)…
This work presents a method of efficiently computing inner and outer approximations of forward reachable sets for nonlinear control systems with changed dynamics and diminished control authority, given an a priori computed reachable set for…
Approaching a tumbling target safely is a critical challenge in space debris removal missions utilizing robotic manipulators onboard servicing satellites. In this work, we propose a trajectory planning method based on nonlinear optimization…
This paper studies a rechargeable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assisted wireless network, where a UAV is dispatched to disseminate information to a group of ground terminals (GTs) and returns to a recharging station (RS) before the…
This paper presents a methodology for the concurrent first-stage preliminary design and ascent trajectory optimization, with application to a Vega-derived Light Launch Vehicle. The reuse as first stage of an existing upper-stage (Zefiro 40)…
This research addresses the increasing demand for advanced navigation systems capable of operating within confined surroundings. A significant challenge in this field is developing an efficient planning framework that can generalize across…
This paper presents a convex approach to the optimization of a cooperative rendezvous, that is, the problem of two distant spacecraft that simultaneously operate to get closer. Convex programming guarantees convergence towards the optimal…
A classic reachability problem for safety of dynamic systems is to compute the set of initial states from which the state trajectory is guaranteed to stay inside a given constraint set over a given time horizon. In this paper, we leverage…
A novel concept of orbital launch system in which all stages are reusable is presented. The first two stages called Midpoint Delivery System (MPDS) deliver the next stages to a midpoint. A midpoint is defined by an altitude of 100 $km$ to…
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…