Spacecraft thrust vector control during landing on the moon surface

The problem of optimal control of the thrust vector of a spacecraft power engine, making a decay and soft landing from the circular satellite orbit of the Moon to its surface, is considered. The maximum principle of L.S.Pontryagin was used to determine the control structure. An approach has been developed to determine the optimal thrust control programs for the power engine. The results of the trajectory calculation of a spacecraft landing on the lunar surface are presented. © 2017 Univelt Inc. All rights reserved.