Online Optimal Reentry Guidance via Matched Asymptotic Expansion

Online optimal reentry guidance of reentry vehicles is the main objective of this paper. The procedure is based on the Matched Asymptotic Expansion (MAE) method, one of the Singular Perturbation Theory (SPT) procedures, and is aided with the Variation of Extremals (VOE) method. The new technique, named MAEOG(Matched Asymptotic Expansion Optimal Guidance) offers a very low solution time and an acceptable accuracy compared with the other numerical methods used until now for reentry optimization. Furthermore, it permits considering both the lift and the aerodynamic roll angle as control variables. The features of the new method appear completely suitable to develop a guidance scheme for atmospheric reentry.