To predict the performance of the VDS and the launch vehicle, I developed a simulation in MathWorks Simulink.
It is used primarily as a test bed for experimental GNC algorithms and avionics configurations, and it also allows mission performance prediction with customizable weather scenarios, 6DOF equations of motion, and launch animation.
The simulation also supported learning and predictive apogee targeting algorithm experiments.
VDS Simulation — Brief Tour
An overview of the simulation I created for River City Rocketry’s Variable Drag System (VDS).
Apogee Targeting Algorithm Simulation
This recording shows a simulated flight of a high-powered sounding rocket with bang-bang motor control. The avionics package learns the drag coefficient of the vehicle mid-flight using non-linear least squares regression and uses that estimate to predict and target apogee more accurately.
Future improvements included a higher-fidelity aerodynamic model and hardware-in-the-loop capabilities.