Abstract: An autonomous flight termination system for terminating vehicle flight after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; a termination unit selected from a cut-off switch connected to terminate vehicle flight when actuated, and a switch connected to detonate an explosive on the vehicle; a system controller for receiving a first signal indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory, and for sending a third signal to actuate the termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle when the actual vehicle trajectory is determined to be outside the safety bounds of a mission-planned flight trajectory; and a failsafe controller connected to receive operational data of the system controller, and to actuate the termination unit when the operational data indicates that the system is in an error state.

Abstract: An autonomous flight termination system for terminating vehicle flight after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; a termination unit selected from a cut-off switch connected to terminate vehicle flight when actuated, and a switch connected to detonate an explosive on the vehicle; a system controller for receiving a first signal indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory, and for sending a third signal to actuate the termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle when the actual vehicle trajectory is determined to be outside the safety bounds of a mission-planned flight trajectory; and a failsafe controller connected to receive operational data of the system controller, and to actuate the termination unit when the operational data indicates that the system is in an error state.