US Patent 8729442 Predicting and correcting trajectories

Technology for predicting and correcting a trajectory is described. The technology can create a model to predict a position of the reusable launch vehicle at a time in the future; observe a wind condition during ascent of the reusable launch vehicle; store the observed wind condition in a wind map; predict during ascent a position and a terminal lateral velocity of the reusable launch vehicle at a terminal altitude; and correct a flight trajectory of the reusable launch vehicle based on the wind map.