CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

Department of Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace Engineering)

DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

 AST-351
Academic Session : 2022-23 (Even)
Semester : VI

Mr. Rohit Kumar Prasad

Assistant Professor
Department of Aerospace Department,
Chandigarh University
Rohit.e13568@cumail.in
 Lect-22-B
Syllabus

INTERPLANETARY TRAJECTORIES & BALLISTIC Contact

UNIT-3 MISSILE TRAJECTORIES Hours: 15

Two-dimensional interplanetary trajectories – fast interplanetary trajectories –

Interplaneta
three dimensional interplanetary trajectories – launch of interplanetary
ry
spacecraft – trajectory estimation about the target planet – concept of sphere of
Trajectories
influence – Lambert’s theorem.
Introduction to ballistic missile trajectories – boost phase – the ballistic phase –
Ballistic trajectory geometry – optimal flights – time of flight – re-entry phase – the
Missile position of impact point -influence coefficients.
Trajectories

3
 Lect-22-B
TOPICS COVERED

Introduction to ballistic missile trajectories – boost phase – the ballistic

Ballistic Missile phase – trajectory geometry – optimal flights – time of flight – re-entry
Trajectories phase – the position of impact point -influence coefficients.

4
 Trajectory geometry
• We have seen that the orientation of the trajectory plane, specified by the angles i and is determined by the
components i, i and i of the injection state. In this section, we will discuss the type and shape of the trajectory and its
orientation in the trajectory plane, as is shown in Fig. 4. It will turn out that type and shape are completely
determined by the quantities ri, Vi and i while the orientation of the trajectory in the plane will be dependent on all
components of the state vector, except i.
• We know that the polar representation of a Keplerian trajectory is given by

Fig. 4 In-plane trajectory geometry

 Trajectory geometry
• They are related to total energy and angular momentum per unit of mass, and therefore eq for the injection state.
• Introducing the injection velocity parameter, k, defined as

• where Vci, is the local circular velocity

• The injection true anomaly

• Assuming re-entry to start at an altitude he or radius re related by

• We find by some reasoning for true anomaly at re-entry

• The ballistic angular range, , is then given by

• and the ballistic linear range measured along a great circle from the sub-vehicle point at injection to the sub-vehicle
point at re-entry for a non-rotating Earth is
 Trajectory geometry

Fig. 5 The influence of the ratio of injection and re-entry radius, i and
flight path angle, i on the angular range
 Trajectory geometry
• For a known range angle and a given value of k, which is practically completely determined by the missile
configuration used, the required injection flight path angle is found from Eq. (2-26). As at injection y, 90°, this
equation yields, for k, < 1, at most two distinct rts.al roots for y„ depending on the value of I. For small ranges, the
discriminant in Eq. (2-26) will be positive and two distinct flight path angles will be found, the smaller one yielding
the low trajectory, the larger one the high trajectory. Increasing the range will decrease the discriminant until it
vanishes for

• In that case there is just one flight path angle for the given range, or, in other words, the range is the maximum that
can be covered for the given value of lc,. Still further increasing the range makes the discriminant negative and no
real solutions exist for y,.
• If k, > 1, Eq. (13.2-26) has two solutions: one with a plus sign before the square root yielding k, cos' y, > 1, and one
with a minus sign, yielding k, cost y, < 1. According to Eq. (2-24) the first solution must be used if > 180°, while, if
< 180° the second solution must be taken.
• As to re-entry conditions, it is immediately clear from Eqs. (2-22) that if injection and re-entry altitude are equal, the
re-entry velocity equals the injection velocity, while the flight path angle at re-entry is the opposite of the injection
flight path angle.
 A graphical technique
• We will describe a graphical technique to determine ballistic trajectories. This technique can help to get a better
insight into the problem, and the equations for optimal flights can be derived easily with this method.

• Let P, and Pe in Fig. 7 be the injection point and re-entry point respectively, and let the injection velocity be given.
Using Eq. (2-23a), the semi-major axis of the conic through Pi and Pe can be determined. An important property of
an ellipse is that the sum of the distances from any point on the ellipse to the two foci is constant and equals 2a. As
one focus is the center of the Earth, F1, the other focus F2 (empty or vacant focus) must lie on a circle with Pi as
center and radius 2a — r„ but also on a circle with Pe as center and radius 2a — re. We can distinguish three
possibilities concerning these two circles:

• 1. The two circles do not intersect, which means that their radii, and consequently the semi-major axis and the
injection velocity are too small for the given range. Increasing the injection velocity will increase the semi-major
axis and the radii of the circles, until the injection velocity is just large enough for the given range. In that case:

• 2. The two circles touch on the chord P,Pe, which corresponds to the minimum injection velocity trajectory, to be
discussed in the next section. Further enlarging the injection velocity will cause:

• 3. The two circles to intersect each other in two distinct points F2.
 A graphical technique
• This case is depicted in Fig. 13.7. Therefore, in this case we find two possible positions for the empty focus and
consequently two possible trajectories connecting and Pe. Now that we have found the positions of the empty foci
we can construct the required direction of the injection velocity, i.e. the flight path angle at injection, and also the
flight path angle at re-entry. For this we use another important property of the ellipse, viz. that the tangent to an
ellipse is normal to the bisector of the angle formed by the lines connecting the tangency point with the two foci of
the ellipse. Thus, construction of the normals to the bisectors of the angles F1P,F2 and FIP,F2 yields the two possible
directions of the injection velocity.
• As for optimal flights the empty focus lies on the chord PiPe, we conclude that for injection velocities greater than
the minimum injection velocity we find two possible injection flight path angles, one greater than the optimum flight
path angle, yielding the high trajectory and one less than the optimum flight path angle, yielding the low trajectory.
As follows from Fig. 13.7, the flight path angles equal half the angles F1P,F2 and F1P,F respectively. So the angle
Fpc',F,,p, equals twice the difference between the flight path angle for the high trajectory and the optimum flight
path angle. Likewise, the angle F2P,F„„, equals twice the difference of optimal flight path angle and flight path angle
for the low trajectory. As the line F2F2 is normal to the chord PiP,, the two angles F2P,F,,,, and F.13,F„p, are equal,
so we conclude that the low and high flight path angles lie symmetrically with respect to the optimum flight path
angle.
• We have discussed here the determination of the flight path angle for given injection and re-entry points and given
injection velocity. Likewise, it is possible to determine the re-entry point with this graphical method if injection
point, injection velocity and flight path angle, and re-entry altitude are given.
 a. Text Books
1. Space Flight Dynamics; Wiesel, William E; McGraw-Hill; 3E.
2. Orbital Mechanics For Engineering Students - H. Curtis (B-H, 2005) BBS
3. Cornelisse, J.W., “Rocket Propulsion and Space Dynamics”, J.W. Freeman & Co.,Ltd, London, 1982
4. Martin J. L. Turner; “Rocket and Spacecraft Propulsion”, Springer, 2E, 2006.

a. Reference Books:
1. Atmospheric and Space Flight Dynamics, Ashish Tiwari; 2007 Birkhauser Boston
2. Parker, E.R., “Materials for Missiles and Spacecraft”, Mc.Graw Hill Book Co. Inc., 1982.
3. Sutton, G.P., “Rocket Propulsion Elements”, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, 5th Edition,
1993.
Video Lecture Link:
https://youtu.be/ff1KzXvfMmo?list=PLTyTa-eqNYgquAvipe0myt8uCEs2mrRTL

https://youtu.be/DrMmbM41_iA

Important Link:
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD0731662.pdf

https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/99024

https://www.academia.edu/3161834/
Trajectory_shape_varying_missile_guidance_for_interception_of_ballistic_missiles_during_the_boost_phase

https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/trajectory-projectile-motion#:~:text=To%20calculate%20it%3A,)%20%3D
%203.21%20m%2Fs.