Optimal Aircraft Metering during Space Launches

During space launches, aircraft are rerouted around large, static columns of restricted airspace. These restrictions are often active for hours at a time and result in many rerouted aircraft. Recent research has focused on moving from static restrictions to dynamic restrictions that can adapt to the launch trajectory and vehicle health to limit airspace disruption. Previously, the problem was framed as a Markov decision process and solved using dynamic programming for heading reroutes. This method preforms well for aircraft flying near land with constant air traffic communications. In contrast, oceanic flights are routed via waypoints and pilots speak with air traffic control much less often. This paper suggests rerouting oceanic flights by metering them between waypoints. This method results in less airspace disruption while maintaining safety.