This volume presents the proceedings of the February 1997 conference on Guidance and Control, focusing on advancements and practical experiences in the field. The conference introduced a new session on natural radiation effects on guidance, navigation, and control design, alongside discussions on autonomy, orbital phenomena, precision optical control, and recent in-flight system performance. It featured candid sharing of insights from successes and failures, with presentations on on-orbit performance and anomalies from missions like EUEV, MSX, TOMS-EP, MSTI-3, FAST, and NEAR.

This collection of proceedings offers a snapshot of the state of guidance, navigation, and control technology in early 1997, with a particular emphasis on practical applications and lessons learned from space missions. The inclusion of a new session on radiation effects indicates a forward-looking approach to emerging challenges in aerospace engineering. The direct reporting of on-orbit performance and anomalies provides valuable, real-world data for researchers and engineers in the field.