Perigee altitude control using aerodynamic force during aerobraking

An approach of perigee altitude control using aerodynamic force was provided to deal with the decline of perigee during the orbital transfer process of aerobraking. The atmospheric flight control law considering the bank angle as control variable was investigated, and the computer simulation which referred to the relevant interplanetary exploration mission was performed for demonstration. The perigee altitude was controlled by changing the bank angle to adjust the aerodynamic force component along altitude direction. And the feedback gains were automatically adjusted according to the currently actual altitude and the desired altitude of perigee. The present control law effectively limited the decline of perigee altitude and reduced the quantity of decline finally during whole aerobraking without fuel consumption. Meanwhile, the max dynamic pressure and the max heat flux were decreased gradually, which ensure the security of spacecraft.