Keith D. Graham is principal mathematician, Systems and Research Center, Honeywell, Inc., 2345 Walnut Street, St. Paul, Minnesota.; Work done under NASA contract NAS 8-11206 from the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.; ABSTRACT: A method of specifying the gains of a linear controller for a large launch booster using a new application of optimal control theory is described in this paper. Results for a specific example are included. An important control requirement is to maintain cost variables (such as bending moment, engine gimbal deflection, and lateral deviation from desired trajectory) within specified limits in the presence of load disturbances. This requirement is met by using a performance index which depends explicitly on maximum achievable values of the cost variables in a finite time interval.
