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CEAS EuroGNC 2026

Enabling reusability in space transportation using actively controlled parafoils for high-precision landings
Leyre Hernández Palacios Navigation Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Joost Veenman Senior Control Engineer and PM, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Jesús Ramírez GNC Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Ángela Serrano GNC Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Pablo González GNC Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Lourdes Lobera GNC Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Antonio Hernández Rodicio-Mateos GNC Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Guillermo Alonso GNC Engineer, Sener Aeroespacial S.A., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The growing demand for reusable space transportation systems underscores the importance of developing reliable recovery technologies for space vehicles, particularly launcher stages. This paper presents an actively controlled parafoil system designed to enhance landing precision, building on the legacy of the Space Rider (SR) mission. The system integrates modern navigation methods, optimization-based guidance, and robust control strategies. It consists of a parafoil attached to a recoverable payload, operating in cooperation with a sea-drone platform. This cooperative scheme reduces the required landing area and mitigates impact energy constraints by using a net-based absorption mechanism. To assess feasibility, a high-fidelity simulation environment was developed, enabling the evaluation of landing accuracy and touchdown velocity, among other requirements. The results confirm the viability of the proposed approach and highlight key challenges for future development and maturation.
Keywords: Space transportation; reusability; guided parafoils; optimization based guidance; robust control; hybrid navigation
 View PDF CEAS-GNC-2026-003 doi: 10.82124/CEAS-GNC-2026-003


Leyre Hernández Palacios, Joost Veenman, Jesús Ramírez, Ángela Serrano, Pablo González, Lourdes Lobera, Antonio Hernández Rodicio-Mateos, Guillermo Alonso: Enabling reusability in space transportation using actively controlled parafoils for high-precision landings. Proceedings of the 2026 CEAS EuroGNC conference. Madrid, Spain. May 2026. doi: 10.82124/CEAS-GNC-2026-003.
BibTeX entry (UTF-8):

@Incollection{CEAS-GNC-2026-003,
    author = {Hernández Palacios, Leyre and Veenman, Joost and Ramírez, Jesús and Serrano, Ángela and González, Pablo and Lobera, Lourdes and Hernández Rodicio-Mateos, Antonio and Alonso, Guillermo},
    title = {Enabling reusability in space transportation using actively controlled parafoils for high-precision landings},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 {CEAS EuroGNC} conference},
    address = {Madrid, Spain},
    month = may,
    year = {2026},
    doi = {10.82124/CEAS-GNC-2026-003}
}