Performance of a predictive guidance system for booster flyback

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop and test a robust guidance strategy for use on the flyback mission of a winged launch booster. The guidance system employs a numerical Newton-Raphson restoration technique to update steering parameters, coupled with heuristic logic, to improve robustness. The guidance system uses a prediction of the final state of the launch vehicle to close the feedback loop and is therefore called "predictive guidance".