Quasi-optimum control for minimum-time rendezvous

A quasi-optimum control law for minimum-time, bounded acceleration rendezvous in a plane is obtained. By ignoring the tangential velocity, a simplified problem is obtained for which there is a well-known solution. The tangential velocity is then accounted for, approximately, by use of the quasi-optimum control technique described by Friedland.1 Simulated trajectories show that the quasi-optimum control law gives excellent results.