OrbitView 🛰️

Advanced 3D Satellite Tracking & Orbital Mechanics Platform
Real-time visualization, pass prediction, and conjunction analysis powered by CesiumJS and SGP4.

Live Demo · Wiki · Theory · Report Bug

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📸 Showcase

Desktop Command Center	Mobile Pocket Lab

Scientific Satellite Tracker & Orbital Analysis

Responsive, High-Performance, and Mobile-First

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✨ Features

📱 v2.3 Mobile & PWA Experience (NEW)

• Pocket Lab Interface: A completely redesigned mobile UX with a bottom-sheet Inspector and gesture controls.
• Haptic Feedback: Tactile responses for interactions (selection, time scrubbing) on supported devices.
• Adaptive Performance: Automatic resolution scaling and bloom disabling on mobile for smooth 60fps tracking.
• Touch-Optimized Controls: Pinch-to-zoom, two-finger tilt, and swipe gestures for the 3D globe.

🎨 v2.2 ORBITAL GLASS Design System

• 🖥️ Apple Vision Pro-inspired Glassmorphism UI — Clean, modern interface with frosted glass panels and smooth animations
• ⏱️ Smart Timeline — Context-aware time scrubber that auto-hides when analyzing satellites
• 🎥 Satellite Cockpit View (POV) — Velocity-vector locked camera with Quaternion orientation
• 🔬 Centered Scientific Modal — Full-screen analysis dashboard with backdrop blur

⚡ v2.0 Performance

• 🛰️ Real-time SGP4 Propagation — Web Worker-driven batch processing for 25,000+ satellites at 60 FPS
• 🧮 Spatial Hashing Collision Engine — O(N) link calculation with 1000km³ grid cells
• 🌍 High-Fidelity Inertial Orbit Rendering — Fixed GMST algorithm shows true Kepler rings
• ⚡ Offline-First Architecture — IndexedDB caching with Stale-While-Revalidate
• 📊 Scientific Data Export — TLE, CSV, and JSON format export for research

🌍 Core Features

• 🌍 Interactive 3D Globe — Real-time visualization of 25,000+ satellites and space objects
• 🔬 Scientific Analysis — Doppler shift, orbital decay, conjunction analysis, pass prediction
• 🛰️ Professional TLE Hub — Multi-source fallback (Space-Track, CelesTrak, AMSAT)
• ☀️ Eclipse Detection — Real-time sunlight/shadow status for all objects
• ⛓️ Deep Linking — Share specific satellites via URL (e.g., ?sat=25544)
• ⏱️ Time Travel — Simulate orbits at any point in history or future
• 🔭 Scientific Tool Suite — Pass prediction, Skyplot polar view, Orbital decay analysis & Doppler calculator
• 🧭 AR Compass Mode — Use device orientation to spot satellites in the sky
• ⌨️ Power User Tools — Keyboard shortcuts, analyst mode, and TLE exporting
• ⭐ Favorites System — Save and quickly access your favorite satellites

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🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• npm or yarn

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/SpaceEngineerSS/OrbitVieW.git
cd orbitview

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env.local
# Add your Cesium Ion access token to .env.local

# Start development server
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 to see the app.

Environment Variables

NEXT_PUBLIC_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_cesium_token_here

Get your free Cesium Ion token at cesium.com/ion.

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Technology	Purpose
Next.js 15	React framework with App Router & Turbopack
CesiumJS + Resium	3D globe visualization
satellite.js	SGP4/SDP4 orbital propagation
Zustand	High-performance state management
Web Workers	Spatial Hashing physics engine
TailwindCSS	Utility-first CSS
Framer Motion	Animations
Native IndexedDB	Offline caching
Puppeteer	Automated Documentation Screenshots

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📖 Documentation

Project Structure

src/
├── app/                 # Next.js App Router pages
├── components/
│   ├── Globe/          # Cesium globe & satellite rendering
│   ├── HUD/            # Heads-up display components
│   ├── Scientific/     # Analysis dashboards
│   └── layout/         # Responsive layouts (MobileNavBar, InspectorPanel)
├── lib/                # Core calculations
│   ├── DopplerCalculator.ts
│   ├── OrbitalDecay.ts
│   ├── ConjunctionAnalysis.ts
│   └── PassPrediction.ts
├── hooks/              # Custom React hooks
├── workers/            # Web Workers for heavy computation
└── store/              # Zustand state management

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
/	Focus search
F	Toggle favorite
R	Random satellite
Space	Toggle play/pause
Escape	Close panels
?	Show shortcuts
A	Toggle Analyst Mode

Scientific Features

Feature	Description
Doppler Shift	Calculate frequency shifts for satellite radio signals based on relative velocity
Orbital Decay	Estimate satellite lifetime using atmospheric drag models and B* coefficients
Conjunction Analysis	Analyze close approach events between space objects with risk assessment
Pass Prediction	Predict when satellites will be visible from your location with sky plots

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🌐 Data Sources

Source	Purpose
Space-Track.org	Official source for 25,000+ active payload and debris TLEs
CelesTrak	Secondary mirror and supplemental data provider
NASA Horizons	High-precision ephemeris for deep space missions (JWST)
SatNOGS	Real-time frequency and communication metadata

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🔬 Scientific Foundation & Validation

OrbitView is engineered with high-fidelity astrodynamic models to ensure research-grade accuracy.

Core Models

• Propagation: High-precision SGP4/SDP4 models considering Earth's oblateness (J2-J4), atmospheric drag ($B^*$), and deep-space perturbations
• Orbit Rendering: Fixed GMST inertial frame rendering for true Kepler orbit visualization
• Atmospheric Model: Optimized exponential decay model correlated with real-time $B^*$ terms
• Signal Analysis: Relativistic Doppler shift calculations based on ITRF radial velocity vectors

📊 Validation Benchmarks

Parameter	Modelled Accuracy	Benchmark Source	Status
LEO Propagation	~1-3 km (1-day)	NAVSTAR GPS (Post-Fit)	✅ Validated
Pass Prediction	±5 seconds (AOS/LOS)	ISS (Zarya) TLE Observations	✅ Validated
Doppler Shift	±5 Hz @ 435 MHz	SatNOGS Network Telemetry	✅ Validated
Orbital Decay	±15% (Altitude < 400km)	NRLMSISE-00 High-Fidelity	✅ Validated

For in-depth analysis and methodology, see THEORY.md

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🗺️ Scientific Roadmap

Phase	Timeline	Feature
Phase 1	Q1 2026	TLE History Analysis — Track orbital changes over time
Phase 2	Q2 2026	Maneuver Detection — Identify impulsive maneuvers via TLE residuals
Phase 3	Q3 2026	High-Fidelity Shadow Model — Penumbra/Umbra atmospheric refraction
Phase 4	Q4 2026	Space Weather Integration — Real-time F10.7 solar flux for dynamic density

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🧪 Testing

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run with coverage
npm run test:coverage

# Type checking
npm run type-check

# Generate Documentation Screenshots
node scripts/capture-screens.mjs

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

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👨‍💻 Developer & Attribution

This project was developed by Mehmet Gümüş.

🌐 Website: spacegumus.com.tr
🐙 GitHub: OrbitVieW
𝕏 X (Twitter): @persesmg
📧 Email: contact@spacegumus.com.tr

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• CelesTrak — TLE data source
• CesiumJS — 3D globe engine
• satellite.js — SGP4 implementation

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🚀 Live Demo

orbitview-five.vercel.app

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Made with ❤️ for space enthusiasts | v2.3.0 | Last updated: 2026-02-12