| Article ID: | iaor201112247 |
| Volume: | 32 |
| Issue: | 6 |
| Start Page Number: | 627 |
| End Page Number: | 646 |
| Publication Date: | Nov 2011 |
| Journal: | Optimal Control Applications and Methods |
| Authors: | Hermant Audrey |
| Keywords: | control, optimization |
This paper deals with the optimal control problem of the atmospheric reentry of a space shuttle with a second-order state constraint on the thermal flux. We solve the problem using the shooting algorithm combined with an homotopy method, which automatically determines the structure of the optimal trajectory (composed of one boundary arc and one touch point). 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.