Orbital Scope

Showing orbit and coverage
No satellite selected
Showing just coverage
Showing just orbit
More orbit
More orbit
More orbit

What it does

Orbital Scope lets users track Earth-orbiting satellites in real time. Explore orbital paths, view satellite info like current position, and predict when satellites will pass over your location. Even search for your favorite satellite!

How we built it

We used JavaScript and Three.js for 3D visualization, pulling TLE data to calculate real-time satellite positions. The UI is built with HTML/CSS. Tyra, our “average person perspective” tester and education major, gave critical feedback on usability, which helped us make the app more intuitive.

Challenges we ran into

Getting satellites to orbit accurately was tricky since our Earth is just a texture on a sphere. Initially, the viewpoint didn’t represent even half of the satellites orbiting Earth (there are thousands!), so we needed to change where we got our data from.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully visualized multiple satellites in 3D, implemented dynamic filters, and enabled live updates to ensure orbital data remains current. Users can now explore satellites from anywhere in the world seamlessly.

What we learned

We gained hands-on experience with orbital calculations, Three.js rendering, and optimizing real-time web applications.

What's next for Orbital Scope

Next, we plan to add celestial body locations for broader monitoring, implement AR interactivity for various locations across the globe, and expand historical tracking for satellite orbits.