ASTOS

Infobox Software
name = ASTOS


caption = ASTOS 6 running on windows XP showing a destructive re-entry analysis
developer = Astos Solutions GmbH
latest_release_version = 6.0.0
latest_release_date = release date|2008|10|08
operating_system = Cross-platform
genre = Technical computing
license = Proprietary
website = [http://www.astos.de/products/astos ASTOS product website]

ASTOS is a trajectory optimization and simulation tool for launch and re-entry missions, orbit transfers, design optimization and for re-entry safety assessments. It solves aerospace problems with a data driven interface and automatic initial guesses. Since 1989, the European Space Agency has developed, and improved this trajectory optimization environment to compute optimal trajectories for a variety of complex multi-phase optimal control problems. ASTOS is being extensively used at ESA and aerospace industry community to calculate optimal launch and entry trajectories and was one of the tools used by ESA to assess the risk due to the ATV 'Jules Verne' re-entry. ASTOS is compatible with Windows and Unix platforms and is maintained and commercialized by Astos Solutions GmbH for the European Space Agency.

History

The development of ASTOS (formerly named ALTOS) started in 1989 at the DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen and MBB (now Astrium).In 1991 the Institute of Flight Mechanics and Control (IFR) at the University of Stuttgart under the head of Prof. Klaus Well took the responsibility for the development of ASTOS. In 1999 the commercialization of ASTOS began. In the period 2001-2006 ASTOS was sold by Technology Transfer Initiative of the University of Stuttgart (TTI). Since September 2006 the newly founded company Astos Solutions GmbH is responsible for development and sales of ASTOS.

External links

* [http://www.astos.de Astos Solutions website]
* [http://www.tti-stuttgart.de TTI website]
* [http://www.ifr.uni-stuttgart.de/index_en.html Website of the Institute of Flight Mechanics and Control, University of Stuttgart]