Hayden-Project/README.md

Hayden Project

Hayden Project is a MATLAB 3DOF interceptor-versus-target engagement simulation repository for the AERO 3220 Spring 2026 coursework. The project is driven by the PDFs in docs/ and implemented through the MATLAB files in code/.

What The Docs Define

• docs/AERO 3220 3DOF Information Spring 26.pdf defines the assignment, required plots, and evaluation settings.
• docs/Atmosphere Model SI Units.pdf provides the SI-unit atmosphere equations for temperature, pressure, density, acoustic speed, and Mach number for the lower-atmosphere branch shown in the handout.
• docs/Addendum to Atomosphere Model Feb 26.pdf defines the stratosphere extension for altitudes above 11 km MSL.
• docs/Missile and Target Data for 3DOF Spring 26.pdf is the source packet for the missile and target geometry, propulsion, and drag data that must be transcribed into the simulation.

Instructor Clarification

Per professor guidance documented on 2026-03-28:

• The atmosphere model must be written and integrated into the 3DOF simulation.
• The final atmosphere implementation must include the stratosphere model for altitudes above 11 km.
• The source files are intentionally incomplete until the missing XX values are replaced with real numbers from the assignment material.
• The addendum specifies that for z > 11000 m, T is held constant at the 11 km value, P decays exponentially from P11k, rho = P/(R*T), and acousticSpeed = sqrt(gamma*R*T).

Assignment Baseline

The course handout specifies these evaluation values:

• Velocity pursuit guidance gain: 0.5
• Blind range: 2 m
• Acquisition range: 5000 m
• Lateral acceleration limit: 40 g
• Time after missile launch to initiate velocity-pursuit guidance: 0.5 s
• Terminal proportional-navigation gain: 4
• Commit time: 50 s
• Missile initial elevation angle: 40 deg

The required outputs are:

• Target and missile trajectories in the vertical plane (x vs z)
• Target speed versus time
• Missile speed versus time
• Missile Mach number versus time
• Missile acceleration magnitude versus time since missile launch

Current Code State

• code/Interceptor_3DOF.m is the top-level driver script and writes Ttrajectory.csv and Mtrajectory.csv.
• code/T3dxdt.m and code/M3dxdt.m now include transcribed target and interceptor area, thrust, mass, and drag data from the course plots.
• code/getGuidance.m holds the guidance-law logic.
• code/getRho.m now implements the lower-atmosphere model and the addendum-defined stratosphere branch.
• code/getMD.m computes miss distance near the point of closest approach.

At the moment, the repository is a partially completed assignment skeleton rather than a finished simulation:

• The executable XX placeholders have been removed from the current MATLAB code.
• The target and missile curves were manually transcribed from the image-based course plots, so those values should be treated as sourced approximations rather than machine-extracted ground truth.
• The model starts running in Octave, but the nested fixed-step ode45 loop is slow enough that end-to-end validation is still incomplete.

Working Expectations

• Keep units in SI unless a source document explicitly states otherwise.
• Treat /docs and direct instructor clarifications as authoritative for assignment requirements and parameter values.
• Record assumptions, extracted tables, unresolved issues, and verification status in MEMORY.md.
• Track the active execution queue in TODO.md.
• Record dated repository-level changes in CHANGELOG.md.

For AI Agents

Read MEMORY.md before making changes. Use MEMORY.md for durable handoff context, TODO.md for the live task queue, and CHANGELOG.md for dated repo history, and update the file whose role changed so the next agent can continue without re-discovering context.