A review of pseudospectral optimal control: From theory to flight

The home space for optimal control is a Sobolev space. The home space for pseudospectral theory is also a Sobolev space. It thus seems natural to combine pseudospectral theory with optimal control theory and construct “pseudospectral optimal control theory”, a term coined by Ross. In this paper, we review key theoretical results in pseudospectral optimal control that have proven to be critical for a successful flight. Implementation details of flight demonstrations onboard NASA spacecraft are discussed along with emerging trends and techniques in both theory and practice. The 2011 launch of pseudospectral optimal control in embedded platforms is changing the way in which we see solutions to challenging control problems in aerospace and autonomous systems.