Adaptive Load Optimization and Precision Control Scheme for Vertical Landing Rockets with Sparse Sensing Data

High−Altitude wind is a critical factor affecting the recovery safety of reusable rockets, significantly altering aerodynamic loads, flight attitudes, and trajectories—especially during the aerodynamic deceleration phase (engine shutdown) of reentry, posing severe challenges to high-precision guidance and stable control. Currently, accurate advance prediction of landing site wind fields is difficult with poor real-time performance, necessitating a real-time estimation and prediction method independent of additional measurement equipment. This study addresses this gap by proposing a deep learning-based approach for wind field estimation and prediction, using directly measurable attitude angles and apparent acceleration deviations of the rocket as inputs to train a dedicated deep neural network. Furthermore, to solve the attitude control problem of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) during recovery, a non-recursive simplified high-order sliding mode control method with online wind disturbance compensation is designed to achieve finite-time convergence. First, a dynamic model for the attitude control of RLVs during recovery is established; second, based on homogeneity theory, a non-recursive simplified homogeneous high-order sliding mode controller is developed to realize finite-time tracking control during RLV recovery with uncertainties, effectively suppressing the chattering inherent in sliding mode control; finally, simulation results verify the effectiveness and engineering feasibility of the proposed method. The combined approach significantly reduces wind-induced disturbance torque and required control torque, enhancing the adaptability and control robustness of vertically recoverable rockets to wind fields.

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Publication Details

Journal
Aerospace
Published
2026-03-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13030255
Primary Topic
Spacecraft Dynamics and Control
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Adaptive Load Optimization and Precision Control Scheme for Vertical Landing Rockets with Sparse Sensing Data

Wei He, Chenxiao Fan, Guoxiong Zhu, Hutao CUI et al.
Aerospace
Spacecraft Dynamics and Control
article

Adaptive Load Optimization and Precision Control Scheme for Vertical Landing Rockets with Sparse Sensing Data

Wei He, Chenxiao Fan, Guoxiong Zhu, Hutao CUI, Yang Zhao
article en

Abstract

High−Altitude wind is a critical factor affecting the recovery safety of reusable rockets, significantly altering aerodynamic loads, flight attitudes, and trajectories—especially during the aerodynamic deceleration phase (engine shutdown) of reentry, posing severe challenges to high-precision guidance and stable control. Currently, accurate advance prediction of landing site wind fields is difficult with poor real-time performance, necessitating a real-time estimation and prediction method independent of additional measurement equipment. This study addresses this gap by proposing a deep learning-based approach for wind field estimation and prediction, using directly measurable attitude angles and apparent acceleration deviations of the rocket as inputs to train a dedicated deep neural network. Furthermore, to solve the attitude control problem of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) during recovery, a non-recursive simplified high-order sliding mode control method with online wind disturbance compensation is designed to achieve finite-time convergence. First, a dynamic model for the attitude control of RLVs during recovery is established; second, based on homogeneity theory, a non-recursive simplified homogeneous high-order sliding mode controller is developed to realize finite-time tracking control during RLV recovery with uncertainties, effectively suppressing the chattering inherent in sliding mode control; finally, simulation results verify the effectiveness and engineering feasibility of the proposed method. The combined approach significantly reduces wind-induced disturbance torque and required control torque, enhancing the adaptability and control robustness of vertically recoverable rockets to wind fields.

AerospaceVol. 13(3)
Harbin Institute of Technology (CN), China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CN)
Harbin Institute of Technology
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 29%
Spacecraft Dynamics and Control
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Adaptive Load Optimization and Precision Control Scheme for Vertical Landing Rockets with Sparse Sensing Data — Wei He, Chenxiao Fan, et al. · Aerospace (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS