Lunar Lander Simulator (MPC-Driven)

An interactive, dual-mode Lunar Lander simulation environment developed in MATLAB. The system simulates continuous 2D rigid-body flight dynamics under lunar gravity, utilizing discrete Model Predictive Control (MPC) with constraint handling for automated soft touchdown, alongside manual keyboard piloting modes.

Technical Architecture & Modules

• Physics Engine (physics/): Rigid-body 2D translational and rotational equations of motion integrated via Euler and RK2 schemes, with contact detection against surface mesh geometry.
• MPC Guidance (mpc/): Discrete-time state-space linearization, cost matrix optimization, and constraint enforcement for terminal descent velocity and attitude.
• Numerical Methods (numerical/): Root-finding (Bisection, False Position, Secant, Newton-Raphson), numerical differentiation, composite numerical integration (Trapezoidal, Simpson's 1/3, 3/8), and Lagrange surface interpolation.
• Terrain Generation (terrain/): Procedural lunar surface modeling and obstacle/landing zone generation.
• Flight Analysis (analysis/): Real-time touchdown telemetry, descent profile validation, and fuel efficiency metrics.
• Test Suites (tests/): Automated verification scripts for physics, controller response, landing geometry, and numerical convergence.

Detailed Engineering Documentation

For deep technical derivations and design notes, see:

• Physics & Dynamic Model
• MPC Formulation & Optimization
• Numerical Methods & Algorithms
• Complete visual overview: LunarLanderMPC_Study_Manual.html

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• MATLAB (R2020b or later)
• Control System Toolbox
• Optimization Toolbox

Running the Simulator

1. Open MATLAB and set your current working directory to this folder.
2. In the MATLAB Command Window, launch the application:

   startLander

Or launch directly via the class definition: app = LunarLanderMPC;

Running Validation Tests To run the automated test suite: run('tests/testPhysicsEngine.m') run('tests/testMPCController.m') run('tests/testNumericalMethods.m') run('tests/testFlightAnalysis.m')