Aerospace Controls: The Way Forward

Abstract

Summary form only given. The scope of this article is primarily aerospace engineering for military missions. Control systems engineers have made many outstanding contributions to aerospace engineering in the last few decades. The purpose of this article is to discuss the interdisciplinary challenges the controls community is facing now in the aerospace arena and the expected increased complexities in the near future. Specifically, control issues and research covering a broad range of air vehicles and space vehicles are discussed. Topics in the presentation include unmanned air vehicles, micro air vehicles, autonomous air refueling, cooperative control, human interface with autonomous systems, structural control, aerodynamic flow control, reusable space launch vehicles, air breathing propulsion engines and many others. While discussing current efforts, future research directions and control challenges are emphasized