Optimal Control in Astrodynamics
A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Astronautics & Space Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 428
Special Issue Editors
Interests: astrodynamics and aerospace trajectory optimization; aerospace mission analysis and design; analytical and numerical methods for trajectory optimization; guidance and control of aerospace vehicles; dynamic game theory applied to aerospace trajectories
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: low-energy trajectories; attitude control systems development; microsatellite interplanetary missions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Astrodynamics investigates the natural and controlled motion of space vehicles in a variety of dynamical environments and scenarios. Space missions of increasing complexity have been designed in recent years. In the near-future, spacecraft operational requirements are expected to become even more demanding. This makes astrodynamics an extremely fertile field for the application of optimal control theory and its most advanced developments. At the same time, the increasing permeation of theory and applications leads to disclosing new and unexpected challenges, of either a theoretical or practical nature.
The objective of this Special Issue entitled “Optimal Control in Astrodynamics” is in presenting valuable contributions in the field of optimal control applied to spacecraft dynamics, with a special focus on orbital mechanics and attitude dynamics, in a variety of mission scenarios. Submissions are solicited related to optimal control in the following dynamical contexts:
- Space mission design in multibody environments;
- Dynamic programming and its applications to space trajectories;
- Minimum-fuel and minimum-time orbit transfers;
- Ascent trajectories of launch vehicles;
- Spacecraft operations, including proximity maneuvers, rendezvous, and docking;
- Planetary descent and landing;
- Decentralized optimal control in multi-agent space systems;
- Satellite constellations, formation flying, and spacecraft clusters;
- Theory of differential games and its application to space trajectories;
- Spacecraft guidance and control;
- Spacecraft attitude maneuvering.
Dr. Mauro Pontani
Dr. Stefano Carletta
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- astrodynamics
- space trajectory optimization
- spacecraft guidance and control
- spacecraft attitude
- spacecraft operations
- satellite constellations
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