Stability Analysis of the NASA ARES I Crew Launch Vehicle Control System

Abstract

The NASA Crew Launch Vehicle is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle designed to meet NASA’s current as well as future needs for human space flight. In order to free the designers to explore more possibilities during the design phase, a need exists for the ability to quickly perform stability analysis on both the baseline vehicle as well as the vehicle after proposed changes due to mission planning, vehicle configuration and avionics changes, proposed new guidance and control algorithms, and any other contingencies the designers may wish to consider. Further, after the vehicle is designed and built, the need will remain for such analysis in the event of future mission planning. An easily reconfigurable, modular, nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom simulation matching NASA Marshall’s in-house highfidelity simulator is created with the ability to quickly enable stability analysis of the Crew Launch Vehicle throughout the entire launch profile. Stability analysis results are presented and discussed.