<h2>AAS 95-351</h2><h2>Attitude and Orbit Estimation of a Tether Satellite System</h2><h4>K. T. Alfriend, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, W. J. Barnds, S. L. Coffey, S. R. Morgan and L. M. Stuhrenberg, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC</h4><h2> Abstract </h2>The Naval Research Laboratory is planning to launch a small, tether satellite system in 1996.  The system will consist of two small satellites connected by a 4 km tether and each of the sub satellites will have laser reflectors for laser tracking.  There is no attitude or orbit control.  In this paper the equations for the orbit and attitude determination of the system are developed and the results of simulations of the expected accuracy are presented.  By attitude determination we mean attitude of the tether system, not attitude of each of the sub satellites.  The tether system is modeled as an extensible, massless tether with longitudinal damping.  <br><br>