Optimal sliding-mode guidance with terminal velocity constraint for fixed-interval propulsive maneuvers

An optimal strategy based on minimum control effort with terminal position and velocity constraints is developed for an exoatmospheric interceptor in order to generate effective intercept for fixed-interval propulsive maneuvers. It is then integrated with sliding-mode control theory to derive a robust optimal guidance law. In addition, this guidance law is generalized for intercepting an arbitrarily time-varying target maneuver. The new guidance method's robustness against disturbances and good miss distance performance are proved by the second method of Lyapunov and simulation results. The presented guidance law is simple to implement in practical applications and requires less acceleration command in comparison to optimal guidance law. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.