High-fidelity trajectory optimization for aeroassisted vehicles using variable order pseudospectral method

In this study, the problem of time-optimal reconnaissance trajectory design for the aeroassisted vehicle is considered. Different from most works reported previously, we explore the feasibility of applying a high-order aeroassisted vehicle dynamic model to plan the optimal flight trajectory such that the gap between the simulated model and the real system can be narrowed. A highly-constrained optimal control model containing six-degree-of-freedom vehicle dynamics is established. To solve the formulated high-order trajectory planning model, a pipelined optimization strategy is illustrated. This approach is based on the variable order Radau pseudospectral method, indicating that the mesh grid used for discretizing the continuous system experiences several adaption iterations. Utilization of such a strategy can potentially smooth the flight trajectory and improve the algorithm convergence ability. Numerical simulations are reported to demonstrate some key features of the optimized flight trajectory. A number of comparative studies are also provided to verify the effectiveness of the applied method as well as the high-order trajectory planning model.