This book deals with structural failure (induced by mechanical, aerodynamic, acoustic and aero-thermal, loads, etc.) of modern aerospace vehicles, in particular high-speed aircraft, solid propellant rocket systems and hypersonic flight vehicles, where structural integrity, failure prediction and service life assessment are particularly challenging, due to the increasingly more demanding mission requirements and the use of non-traditional materials, such as non-metallic composites, in their construction. Prediction of the complex loading environment seen in high-speed operation and constitutive / fracture models which can adequately describe the non-linear behaviour exhibited by advanced alloys and composite materials are critical in analyzing the non-linear structural response of modern aerospace vehicles and structures. The state-of-the-art of the different structural integrity assessment and prediction methodologies (including non-destructive structural health monitoring techniques) used for the structural design, service life assessment and failure analysis of the different types of aerospace vehicles are presented. The chapters are written by experts from aerospace / defence research organizations and academia in the fields of solid mechanics, and structural mechanics and dynamics of aircraft, rocket and hypersonic systems. The book will serve as a useful reference document containing specialist knowledge on appropriate prediction methodologies for a given circumstance and experimental data acquired from multi-national collaborative programs.

This book focuses on the advanced controller designs of flight vehicle maneuver and operation. Chapters explain advanced control mechanisms and algorithms for different controllers required in a flight vehicle system. The book topics such as air-disturbance fixed time controllers, algorithms for orbit and attitude computation, adaptive control modes, altitude stabilization, nonlinear vibration control, partial space elevator configuration, controls for formation flying and satellite cluster, respectively. Key features: - Includes an investigation of high-precision and high-stability control problems of flight vehicles - Multiple complex disturbances are considered to improve robust performance and control accuracy - Covers a variety of single spacecraft and distributed space systems (including hypersonic vehicles, flexible aircraft, rigid aircraft, and satellites) This book will be helpful to aerospace scientists and engineers who are interested in working on the development of flight vehicle maneuver and operation. Researchers studying control science and engineering, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professionals involved in the flight vehicle control field will also benefit from the information given in this book.