LNL: Dr. Rich Cobb: Trajectory Optimization: Applications from UAVs to Space

Recent advances in numerical optimization tools and techniques for solving complex dynamic problems now provide researchers the ability to determine optimal solutions to a wide range of problems of interest to the aerospace community. While the continued development and refinement of such tools is of high importance, equally important is the appropriate setup and application of these tools to meet the challenges of the mission sets in the air and space domains. The presentation examines several different trajectory optimization problems and their solutions to highlight the capabilities and impacts of these ‘best path’ solutions. A variety of sample problems are presented along with results, ranging from UAV operations in confined and congested airspace to on orbit scenarios associated with remote satellite servicing and proximity operations.