Satellite Orbit Simulator

Designed as an educational project, Satellite Orbit Simulator is an application that can be used in Astrodynamics classes to design space missions and preview various orbits for an Earth’s satellite. If you are passionate about space flight and lunar landings, this simulator might be really fun to work with.

The application is rather simple, featuring a straightforward interface layout, with the video simulation in the center, and editable fields for different parameters on the sides. The simulator displays orbits and space objects in three-dimensional space, allowing you to change your viewing angle, zoom in or out, or shift the display center.

Practically, there are a few parameters you can play around with. For instance, null values for the observation position move the view down on the North Pole. On the downside, the application does not allow you to use your mouse cursor to freely adjust the view directly on the simulation area, as we would have expected it to.

If you are not familiar with space flight vocabulary, some of the terms might confuse you until you experiment to find out exactly what they mean. To take Satellite Orbit Simulator for a spin, you can download the sample project files on the official website, which include simulations for a plethora of space missions, from rocket launches to lunar orbits and docking endeavors. Unfortunately, the example files are not included in the downloaded archive, which would be much more convenient.

Satellite Orbit Simulator enables you to customize multiple parameters. First, you must enter the initial position (three-dimensional coordinates) and the velocity of the spacecraft or the satellite in your simulation. The application can optionally take into consideration the effect of the moon gravity on satellites and on the Earth for the running simulation. 

It is possible to see a succession of a satellite’s X-Y-Z positions in space for the current project, along with the estimated distance to the Earth’s center. The generated data can be easily copied to the clipboard, although it might be easier to allow quick exporting to a spreadsheet program.

As everyone knows, practice and applying theory notions is what makes learning fun. That is why Satellite Orbit Simulator can prove to be a real asset for Astrodynamics students and beginners in the space flight domain. It is not complicated to work with, although you do have to understand a few terms related to this field.