Optimal space flight navigation. An analytical approach (Q1626823)

The present book aims to consolidate optimal space flight navigation theory as a discipline. There are nice books on optimal control theory and very good books on orbital space mechanics. But the application of optimal control theory to orbital mechanics is a subject of discussion mainly in the research articles. Optimal space flight navigation is a problem of practical interest, and it is considered just in this monograph. This book is designed to be used as a textbook in a course on optimal space flight at the graduate and senior undergraduate levels, but it is very useful also for all control scientists and control engineers. The book is organized as follows. The first three chapters give a basic introduction in optimal control theory (Chapters 1 and 2) and orbital mechanics with impulsive transfers (Chapter 3). Chapter 4 covers optimal transfers in a spherical gravity field with continuous, unconstrained acceleration inputs, whereas Chapter 5 considers optimal maneuvers with bounded inputs. Finally, the last Chapter 6 presents advanced topics of optimal transfer in time-varying gravity fields, including multi-body transfers. The answers of selected exercises are given at the end of the book.