REAL-TIME OPTIMAL POWERED DESCENT GUIDANCE CONTROL FOR MARS PRECISION LANDERS EXPRO PLUS

Objective: To develop propellant-optimal real-time guidance control algorithms for Mars propulsive landing phases, including hazard avoidance and maneuvers for pinpoint and/or soft landing.Description: Optimal propulsive descent guidance (PDG) is a critical technology for ensuring Mars safe and precise landings. Current propulsive landing systems face challenges in terms of real-time guidance control that can optimize propellant consumption while achieving accurate and soft landing, especially in hazardous terrain. Traditional methods like gravity turns offer low-cost solutions but may lack the precision needed for autonomous precision landing. This activity aims to address these challenges by developing real-time guidance control algorithms that optimize propellant usage and ensure safe landings in hazardous terrains. The algorithms will consider hazard avoidance and other maneuvers (e.g. backshell avoidance, site selection), providing a robust solution for pinpoint and soft landings. The added value includes improved landing accuracy, enhanced safety, and efficient propellant usage; all which are crucial for future Mars precision landing missions. The goal is also to enable better trade-offs and consolidation of Mars exploration roadmaps and studies while providing sizing and limits of performance at systems level. The present technology development entails creating optimal PDG algorithms for the propulsive landing phase exploiting state-of-the-art techniques like nonlinear model predictive control and/or convexification techniques. Such methods allow finding optimal landing trajectories autonomously and in real-time. These algorithms will be designed to optimize numerical efficiency and robustness while keeping fallback options in case of infeasibility. The performance will be evaluated via high-fidelity dynamical simulations, while portability to flight processors will be assessed through profiling of the developed guidance control algorithms. This activity encompasses the following tasks: - Consolidation of the proofs-of-concept and review the state-of-the-art of real-time PDG. - Definition of requirements, operational scenarios, use-cases, and preliminary validation and verification (VV) plan. - Detailed development of guidance control algorithms with focus on real-time capability, performance, and optimization for embeddability. - VV campaign of the proposed solutions and algorithms. - Assessment of computational performance on a space-graded processor through profiling. - Study synthesis, and recommendations for a technology roadmap to increase TRL.