Optimal control of a reentry vehicle in the presence of measurement uncertainties

Trajectory control of a lifting reentry vehicle is considered. Control of the vehicle flight path is obtained by rolling the vehicle about the relative wind axis, thereby altering the direction of lift. A method is developed for determining the controller which minimizes the expected total number of roll maneuvers, plus a quadratic penalty imposed on the miss distance at the target. A numerical example is presented and the physical significance of the solution is explained.