QFT robust control of a Vega-type space launcher

This paper deals with the position and attitude control of a Vega-type space launcher. The first part of the paper develops a general model of the launcher that takes into account the gravity, air density and mass variation. It also derives a linear model with uncertainty for the dominant dynamics, taking the nonlinear characteristics of the system as parametric uncertainty. The second part introduces the design of a set of robust QFT controllers to govern the pitch and yaw angles and the z coordinate. Finally, the system is validated by means of an intense campaign of simulations.