Optimization of control systems with discontinuities and terminal constraints

The "successive sweep method," a Newton-Raphson algorithm in function space, based upon [1]-[3], is applied to the computation of optimal solutions to control problems which are characterized by terminal constraints and discontinuities in the control functions. The computational technique of using piecewise constant gains is introduced for the successive sweep method in order to reduce computer storage. Two examples are considered. The first example concerns the three-dimensional attitude control of an orbiting vehicle. The second example is the two-dimensional transfer of a low thrust vehicle in a gravitational field.