%0 Journal Article %A Vasil'ev, Igor Yu. %D 2008 %I Begell House %N 11 %P 57-64 %R 10.1615/JAutomatInfScien.v40.i11.60 %T Estimation of the Efficiency of Optimal Control of an Electric Rocket Engine with Solar Power Supply %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/2b6239406278e43e,61f61f514d60670f,79686cf23acd2a05.html %V 40 %X Comparison is performed of the efficiency of two types of electric rocket engines, namely of those with constant and variable in magnitude thrust. The solar cells are on-board power source. The rocket thrust optimal control is investigated with the use of Pontryagin maximum principle. It is shown, that accounting for real peculiarities of the regulation characteristic of considered engine system allows one to draw a conclusion on insignificance of decrease in efficiency under replacement of the variable thrust engine by much more simple rocket engine with constant in magnitude thrust. %8 2009-01-29