Navigation Error Analysis for the Rocketplane XP

Kevin M. Betts and R. Chad Rutherford

Abstract:	bd Systems has supported the navigation architecture development of the Rocketplane XP as part of its responsibility as the vehicle guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) subsystem lead contractor. The Rocketplane XP is a reusable suborbital space-plane being designed by Rocketplane Limited, Inc. for the commercial space tourism market. The horizontal take-off/horizontal landing vehicle, which will be one of the world’s first true manned aerospace vehicles, has a short development schedule with plans to begin operation in 2007. bd Systems performed a detailed trade study to select the navigation subsystem and developed high-fidelity error models for use in the overall vehicle six degree-offreedom (6DOF) simulation in order to determine the effects of navigation errors on vehicle performance.
Published in:	Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006 April 25 - 27, 2006 Loews Coronado Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	998 - 1004
Cite this article:	Betts, Kevin M., Rutherford, R. Chad, "Navigation Error Analysis for the Rocketplane XP," Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006, San Diego, CA, April 2006, pp. 998-1004. https://doi.org/10.1109/PLANS.2006.1650701
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