Abstract :
The class of intelligent systems tools known as genetic algorithms is applied to the problem of state estimation, specifically, to predict the orbital dynamics of a tethered satellite system. Emphasis here is placed on cases of tethered motion in which only a short arc of observational data is available. For several example cases of tethered system motion, the performance of a genetic algorithm-based method is compared with that of a conventional differential corrections filtering technique. Measures of comparison include orbit determination accuracy, computational speed, and overall ease of use.
