Flight Test Development of the X43A-LS Reusable Launch Vehicle

Accurate Automation Corporation proposes a three-pronged effort to build on the Phase I program to develop technologies in support of the NASA Hyper-X program and the X-43 series of research vehicles (X-43A, X-43B, and X-43C). The data and technologies developed under the proposed Phase II program will also support the development and testing of future hypersonic vehicles and reusable launch vehicles. The three major technical objectives of the Phase II program are: 1) Development of a robust, fully nonlinear parameter identification method and associated tools for extraction of dynamic models from flight test data, while rigorously accounting for both process (state) and measurement noise. 2) Development of an adaptive guidance and navigation control system for the development of optimal flight trajectories for hypersonic vehicles including reusable launch vehicles. 3) Development of a low-speed flight test database for the X-43 configuration by conducting envelope expansion flight tests to quantify the performance and handling qualities of AAC?s X-43A-LS UAV.