Robust Control for Reusable Rockets via Structured H-infinity Synthesis

Abstract

This paper discusses the problem of synthesizing robust controllers for reusable rocketsduring the aerodynamic descent phase. Emphasis is given to a well-established subset ofmethods, specifically robust control techniques based on theH∞concept. A thoroughdescription of how this family of methods can be used for the descent phase of reusablerockets is provided, together with a comparison of the full- and structured-version ofH∞methods. The methodology, the problem faced and the performance that can be obtainedare discussed. Some results are shown for CALLISTO, a reusable rocket demonstratorjointly developed by DLR, JAXA, and CNES