Reusable Launcher
European launcher systems, such as Ariane or Vega, are being continuously developed in international cooperation. In this context, the Institute is involved in the preliminary design, evaluation and optimization of current and future reusable launcher systems based on the findings from system simulation.
To this end, detailed studies are carried out at the Institute in order to evaluate the controllability of launcher systems with regard to all relevant flight phases. The studies focus on optimal trajectories, physical modeling and "Guidance, Navigation and Control" (GNC). Optimal trajectories have a major influence on the design of reusable launcher systems in particular. A library based on the Modelica modeling language and integrated into the "DLR Space Systems Library" provides methods and tools to model rigid and flexible launcher systems taking into account structural elastic effects, which can have a significant impact on the performance of the launcher system.
