Design Optimization of High Performance Satellites

Abstract

Modern techniques of optimization and control considerably increase the performance of robotic satellites. As an example, a small Venus mission is presented for such a spacecraft. Not only a point-mass model is considered, but the full rigid body dynamics of a highly realistic model spacecraft is taken into account. The arising problems are formulated mathematically as boundary-value problems for complex systems of highly nonlinear differential equations. All scientific and technological constraints are exactly included as state and control constraints and interior point conditions. The numerical solution of the boundary-value problems is by a modified multiple shooting method. Problems of scaling and extremely small convergence areas require new solution techniques. For the first time the proof of mission feasibility is given. Design optimization leads to a cheap, robust satellite.