Development of a PID Attitude Control System for Sounding Rockets in the International Rocket Engineering Competition

2025-36-0105

To be published on 12/18/2025

Authors
Abstract
Content
In rocketry competitions, such as the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), unguided sounding rockets are the most commonly used, relying solely on aerodynamic stability to make necessary trajectory corrections during flight. However, this approach has limitations since these vehicles lack mechanisms to ensure apogee accuracy. The active control of a sounding rocket involves methods for orienting and stabilizing the vehicle during flight, using inertial sensors, GPS, and aerodynamic surfaces. These systems allow continuous trajectory and stability adjustments by processing real-time data. In this context, this work proposes the development of a PID-based attitude control system, aligned with IREC guidelines, to improve the accuracy of rocket apogee. For the PID controller design, the second method of the Ziegler-Nichols rule was adopted, based on a linearized transfer function, to calculate the control loop gains. Gain Scheduling technique was employed to estimate gains under different flight conditions. These gains were integrated into a nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom simulator, allowing Monte Carlo simulations to assess the controller’s robustness. Several parameters were considered to evaluate the controller’s efficiency, including energy efficiency, accuracy, and data dispersion. The designed PID controller demonstrated low actuator effort, indicating good energy efficiency, along with high accuracy and low dispersion concerning the desired apogee.
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Citation
Oliveira Junior, Wilson Luiz de, Heloise Assis Fazzolari, and Carlos Alberto de Paiva Carvalho, "Development of a PID Attitude Control System for Sounding Rockets in the International Rocket Engineering Competition," SAE Technical Paper 2025-36-0105, 2025-, .
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
To be published on Dec 18, 2025
Product Code
2025-36-0105
Content Type
Technical Paper
Language
English