Integrated entry guidance with no-fly zone constraint using reinforcement learning and predictor-corrector technique

Abstract

This paper presents an integrated entry guidance law for hypersonic glide vehicles with no-fly zone constraint. Existing methods that employ predictor-corrector technique and lateral guidance logic for both guidance and avoidance, may have limitations in response time and maneuverability when facing sudden threats, because the guidance cycle is limited by computational efficiency and the bank angle magnitude cannot be adjusted according to the urgency of the avoidance. To overcome these challenges, the proposed method divides the entry process into safe flight stages and no-fly zone avoidance stages, and introduces reinforcement learning to develop an intelligent avoidance strategy for the latter. This division reduces the complexity of the learning problem by restricting the state space and increases the applicability in the presence of multiple no-fly zones. The trained avoidance strategy can directly output continuous bank angle command through a single forward calculation, considering both guidance and avoidance requirements. This enables the full utilization of the vehicle’s maneuverability and supports a high command update frequency to effectively handle threats. Additionally, a network trained via supervised learning is employed to generate reference commands, accelerating the training convergence of reinforcement learning. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed guidance law, highlighting its high computational efficiency, command stability, and robustness. Importantly, the approach offers convenience in extending to multiple no-fly zones and accommodating vast initial state spaces.