Auto-Tuned Successive Convexification for Entry Guidance With Continuous-Time Constraint Satisfaction

In this work, we present an auto-tuning hypersonic entry guidance framework that enforces continuous-time constraint satisfaction. In this study, we merge two existing methodologies–AutoSCvx for penalty-weight autotuning and CT-SCvx for continuous-time constraint enforcement–into a unified successive convexification framework: CT-AutoSCvx. This combination removes the need for dense temporal grids, mesh refinement, or manually tuned penalty weights. The resulting algorithm provides three key capabilities for reentry trajectory optimization: (1) continuous-time satisfaction of nonlinear path constraints, (2) automatic tuning of the virtual-buffer penalties associated with the augmented constraints, and (3) treatment of time-interval dilation as an augmented control input. Numerical results are presented for a conceptual human-scale Mars entry vehicle.