Global Optimization of the Shape of a Suborbital Space Vehicle

The determination of the global optimized (GO) shapes of flying configurations leads to extended variational problems with free boundaries. The author has developed special optimization strategies called optimum optimorum and iterative optimum optimorum strategies and have used them for the design of GO shapes of three models, which are of minimum drag at three different supersonic cruising Mach numbers. These optimization strategies can be used for the determination of new GO shapes of more performant supersonic transport aircraft and space vehicles. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)