Reentry Trajectory Optimization and Simulation of Hypersonic Vehicle with Maximum Cross Range Based on GPM

Abstract：The application of Gauss pseudospectral method (GPM) to hypersonic aircraft reentry trajectory optimization problem with maximum cross range was introduced. The Gauss pseudospectral method was used to solve the reentry trajectory of the hypersonic vehicle with the maximum cross range. Firstly, the model of hypersonic aircraft reentry trajectory optimization control problem was established. Taking no account of course constraint, the maximum cross range was chosen as optimal performance index, and angle of attack and bank was chosen as control variable. Terminal state was constrained by position and velocity. Then GPM was applied to change trajectory optimization problem into nonlinear programming problem (NLP), and the state variables and control variables were selected as optimal parameters at all Gauss nodes. At last, optimal reentry trajectory was solved by solving the NLP with the help of SNOPT. The simulation results indicate that GPM does not need to estimate the initial cost variable, and it is not sensitive to the initial states and effective to solve trajectory optimization problem.