Preliminary investigation of 6DOF reentry reachability for a cylindrical reentry vehicle

Authors

• Emma L. Webb, Air Force Institute of Technology
• Robert A. Bettinger, Air Force Institute of TechnologyFollow
• Kerry D. Hicks, Air Force Institute of TechnologyFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-7-2026

Abstract

Cylindrical reentry vehicles (CRV), similar in design to the SpaceX Starship™, are uniquely designed to maneuver during reentry compared to previous reentry vehicle designs. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a methodology for solving optimal six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) reentry trajectories when a vehicle has maneuverable fins and 3DOF assumptions are no longer valid.  Abstract excerpt © Elsevier.

Comments

The full article is available from Elsevier ScienceDirect by subscription or purchase, using the DOI link below.

The article was published online in April 2026 ahead of inclusion in the October 2026 issue date for Volume 177, Part A.

DOI

10.1016/j.ast.2026.112231

Source Publication

Aerospace Science and Technology (ISSN 1270-9638)

Recommended Citation

Webb, E. L., Bettinger, R. A., & Hicks, K. D. (2026). Preliminary investigation of 6DOF reentry reachability for a cylindrical reentry vehicle. Aerospace Science and Technology, 177(Part A), 112231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2026.112231