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Hint - Compare algorithms.


This is an interesting and educational exercise. Select one satellite element set. Generate 2 more windows with Window:New. Change the algorithms in the new windows using the Options menu in each Map Window. Choose Calc:Step in the Main Window, and then Calc:Reference. This will set the time to the reference epoch. All algorithms should give virtually the same results for this time. Now step forward or back and see how long it takes for the predictions to diverge. Change the step size ( Res (sec)) if things are changing too slowly.
Add a new window, but this time choose a different element set for the same satellite (a few weeks earlier or later). Set the time to the reference time of the later element set. Which of the algorithms does the best job of predicting the correct position from the earlier elements ?
Repeat the exercise with different satellites. What happens to the predictions for DOVE ? How about MIR, in a very low orbit ?


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