Task scheduling on spacecraft by hybrid genetic algorithms

A genetic algorithm is developed for scheduling task on a spacecraft having constrained resources. Due to the complex nature of the constraints, it is necessary to take a hybrid approach where the genetic algorithm is combined with a decoder routine to generate feasible solutions. The performance of the hybrid algorithm is demonstrated by example. Results are very encouraging, demonstrating an improvement relative to earlier results, and providing a flexible capability to modify existing sequences in near-real-time to comply with time-varying goals and constraints.