A model comparison for optimal Mars ascent trajectories

Maximum payload Mars launch trajectories are computed for a nominal two-state Mars ascent vehicle. This vehicle transfers a payload from the surface of Mars to a circular parking orbit about Mars in preparation for transferring the payload to an Earth return vehicle. Both gravity turn and pitch-rate control models for controlling the ascent vehicle’s trajectory are investigated. For each case, a rather complicated nonlinear programming problem is obtained and then solved using a sequential quadratic programming algorithm.