SPARTAN: Rapid Trajectory Analysis via Pseudospectral Methods

Abstract

We present SPARTAN: a tool developed by DLR able to transcribe multi-phase optimal-control prob-lems by using pseudospectral methods. The tool analyses the problem provided in continuous form,transforms it into an efficient finite-dimensional representation, which is supplied to state-of-the-artnonlinear programming solvers. The solution is then back-converted into a continuous form and canbe analysed to verify that the first-order necessary conditions coming from the application of the Pon-tryaginMinimumPrinciplearesatisfied. Moreover,anautomaticvalidationoftheresultsisperformedby using Dormand-Prince schemes to verify that the optimized states accurately satisfy the equationsof the motion. In this paper the main features of SPARTAN are described, and some numerical resultsare provided to confirm the validity of the implemented approach