Dynamic avoidance decision method for civil aircraft in a suborbital debris hazard zone

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Navigation Systems
• Risk Management

Background:

• Static suborbital debris hazard zones limit airspace utilization and cause delays for civil aviation.
• Existing research lacks decision-making instructions for civil aircraft to avoid dynamic debris hazard zones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a dynamic method for delineating suborbital debris hazard zones.
• To design flight path planning strategies for civil aircraft to safely avoid these dynamic zones.

Main Methods:

• Created probability ellipsoids for suborbital debris based on ballistic coefficients.
• Employed a divide-and-conquer algorithm for dynamic hazard zone delineation.
• Developed and compared A* and Lazy theta* algorithms for flight path planning and avoidance commands.

Main Results:

• Dynamically delineated hazard zones are smaller than traditional static no-fly zones.
• Improved Lazy theta* algorithm demonstrated shorter flight paths, reduced flight times, and fewer waypoints in windy conditions.
• Standard A* algorithm was effective in windless conditions.

Conclusions:

• The dynamic delineation method enhances airspace resource utilization compared to static methods.
• The proposed algorithms provide effective dynamic avoidance commands for civil aircraft, improving safety and efficiency.
• This research addresses a critical gap in managing suborbital debris risks for aviation.