Applications of Genetic Algorithms in Mission Design

Genetic algorithms (GAs) have been showed to match the requirements of optimization problems in mission design. The paper presents the approach pursued at Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza" in order to solve, by means of GAs, two different kinds of problems typical to Astrodynamics. First, the design of a constellation devoted to zonal coverage on a non-continuous time basis has been faced. GAs-specific unneeded request of the derivatives of the cost function is especially advantageous in this problem, faced as a discrete optimization one. Second, the application of GAs to identify optimal solutions to transfer between different altitudes, circular to eccentric terrestrial orbits and to the orbit acquisition since the release from the launcher in parking orbit has been carried on. The possibility to provide an efficient tool for the low-thrust techniques, requiring a detailed and therefore computation expensive analysis is the reason to prefer GAs in the latter case. While all these applications, primarily intended to test the validity of the approach, are aimed to keep as simple as possible the technique, several issues and findings deemed to be of general validity when using GAs are highlighted. More important, GAs confirm once more the interest they recently received in literature as far as it concerns Astrodynamics applications.