VERSATILE LAUNCH VEHICLE DIGITAL AUTOPILOT *

This paper discusses the development and characteristics of a new digital flight control system (DFCS) being used in the Titan IIIC space launch vehicle. In this system, flight equations for the boost phases and coasting phases are time-shared with guidance equations in a new, general-purpose digital computer. Special software has been incorporated in the DFCS so that it can be used for a broad spectrum of mission and payloads. In addition, malfunction-detection and correction logic has been incorporated into the software for improved mission reliability.

The paper describes the special tools and techniques used in developing the DFCS software; it discusses some of the solutions to development problems concerned with digital filter accuracy, environmental noise susceptibility, and bending mode foldover; and it presents flight-test results.