This paper proposes a fast and accurate algorithm to predict the instantaneous impact point of a rocket. The effects of the atmospheric drag and the gravity perturbation are modeled using the response-surface method. The coefficients of the response-surface models at selected time points are determined before the rocket launch using numerical experiments. During the actual flight, the response-surface models provide the correction terms that can be used to improve the accuracy of the analytic Keplerian instantaneous impact point prediction method. Results of a launch vehicle flight operation case study indicate that the proposed algorithm reduces the prediction errors significantly and can be used as an alternative of the conventional analytic Keplerian algorithm.
Instantaneous Impact Point Prediction Using the Response-Surface Method
Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics ; 36 , 4 ; 958-966
2013-07-01
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Instantaneous Impact Point Prediction Using the Response-Surface Method
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