Russian students develop system to simulate rocket descent and landing
The new platform makes it possible to test the mechanics of returning rocket booster stages on the ground rather than during costly flight trials.
Students at the Moscow Aviation Institute have developed a hardware and software system for simulating the controlled descent and landing of the first stage of a reusable launch vehicle, the university’s press service said.
Efficiency, speed and cost savings
The main purpose of the model is to account for changing flight conditions in real time and determine the precise moment to ignite the engines in order to align the stage vertically and reduce its descent speed. To achieve this, the system simulates the operation of a PID controller – a control mechanism that stabilizes the rocket’s position while physical parameters continuously change.
At present, these parameters are typically calculated separately, with a complete picture emerging only during experimental launches. The new system provides a faster and more cost-effective way to test and fine-tune landing control algorithms at much earlier stages of design.
In the longer term, the developers plan to build a neural network architecture capable of calculating an optimal return trajectory in real time while accounting for obstacles. This would allow the system to quickly identify the most efficient way to stabilize a descending stage and minimize fuel consumption during landing.
