Objective This research aims to develop a unified framework to compute in real-time optimal guidance solutions by merging two of the most promising technologies arisen over the last years, that is, pseudospectral optimal control, and convex optimization. The rationale for this choice can be found in the following motivations:1. The former theory has very interesting properties, such as the quasi-exponential convergence to the true optimal solutions, and was already used to re-orient the International Space Station in 2006, leading to a save of about 1,000,000$ in terms of required propellant with respect to the previous methods.2. Convex-optimization provides the technology to solve optimal control problems in real-time, a key feature for the future space systems, and computes the global optimum.3. The two technologies are complementary as each method’s drawbacks are counterbalanced by the other method’s strengths, and their unification will yield an improvement of performance since the solutions will be optimal, in the sense of maximizing or minimizing a given criterion, while nowadays only sub-optimal schemes are available.4. The research outcome will find applications in several industrial fields, leading to beneficial effects outside the space engineering field as well.The hybrid approach will consist in transcribing the original optimal control problem by using pseoudospectral transcription, that is, by adopting differential, integral, and discretization operators coming from pseudospectral methods. The resulting discrete problem will be then posed in convex form, suitable for real-time applications.The research will focus on the theoretical and algorithmic part, to be developed at the San Diego State University with Prof. Ping Lu during the first two years of program, while the third year will be spent at the German Aerospace Center, where the results will be implemented on a real-time architecture to show the maturity achieved by the proposed method. Fields of science engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringastronautical engineeringspacecraft Keywords Trajectory Computation Convex Optimization Pseudospectral Optimal Control Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2018 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV Net EU contribution € 264 669,12 Address LINDER HOHE 51147 Koln Germany See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Köln, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 264 669,12 Partners (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all Partner Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement. SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION United States Net EU contribution € 0,00 Address CAMPANILE DRIVE 5520 MC 1931 5520 San Diego See on map Activity type Other Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 177 265,92