HyperCMST – Hypersonic Control Modeling and Simulation Tool

Global Aerospace Corporation is developing a hypersonic control modeling and simulation tool (HyperCMST) for hypersonic aeroassist vehicles. The control and simulation testbed is currently focused on the particularly interesting problem of a lifting ballute for planetary aerocapture and descent. The importance of this technology innovation is in the understanding it can provide on the control of hypersonic vehicles, in general, and of lifting ballutes, in particular. Lift control of a ballute will enable the use of smaller and lighter-weight ballutes for planetary orbit capture, that will make ballutes more attractive and feasible for missions to planets such as Neptune where high heating rates require extremely large ballutes for ballistic capture. The application of the completed comprehensive tool will be extensive including, but not limited to, control studies for entry and descent, aerocapture, and aero-gravity-assist with a range of hypersonic aeroassist systems (e.g. rigid and deployable aeroshells, waveriders, etc.).

HyperCMST employs the pseudospectral method and spectral algorithms, which have all the robustness advantages of direct methods while maintaining the accuracy and information content of indirect methods. Also, unlike indirect methods, it does not have problems of convergence or the problems of providing a guess for the adjoint equations or the costates.

HyperCMST Applications

  • Lifting ballute control and design trades
  • NASA Exploration missions to the Moon & Mars
  • NASA Robotic Space Science missions to all planets and moons that have substantial atmospheres
  • Return of commercial launcher injection stages
  • Control and design studies for other hypersonic vehicles (e.g. waveriders, deployable aeroshells)

HyperCMST Capabilities

  • Provides trajectory simulation, control, and optimization in a single stand-alone tool
  • Evaluates aerodynamic, control, and environment uncertainties by Monte Carlo techniques
  • Includes Solar System body characteristics to enable planetary hypersonic vehicle control studies at planets with atmospheres
  • Contains a detailed aerodynamic database (currently for lifting ballute configurations)
  • Is an easily extensible and platform independent software code
Follow Global Aerospace Corporation
© Global Aerospace Corporation 2024. All rights reserved.
Web Design & SEO by Bryt Designs in Long Beach, CA