A futuristic and interactive web application that visualizes real-time space data from NASA and other sources. This project bridges the gap between complex research and public understanding using intuitive UI, powerful APIs, and elegant visuals.

🔗 Launch the App – Explore the cosmos through an immersive interface.

• 📦 Installation & Setup
• 💡 Features
• 🧩 Tech Stack & Dependencies
• 📐 Folder Structure
• 🎯 Future Enhancements
• 🤝 Contribution Guide
• 📄 License

• Node.js (v18 or above)
• npm or yarn

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/stephenrodrick/space-research.git
cd space-research

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Create environment variables

Create a .env.local file in the root directory and add:

NEXT_PUBLIC_NASA_API_KEY
NEXT_PUBLIC_WEATHER_API_KEY
NEXT_N2YO Satellite API_KEY
NEXT_Cesium Ion_KEY

4. Run the development server

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

✨ NASA Data Visualizer Displays Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), Mars Rover photos, and other datasets using dynamic API calls.

✨ Mission Explorer Showcases key space missions in an engaging scroll-based format.

✨ Responsive Design Mobile-first, adaptive layouts using Tailwind CSS and Shadcn/UI components.

✨ Clean & Minimal UI Styled using Vercel’s v0 layout engine, optimized for readability and speed.

✨ Real-Time APIs Data fetched from NASA and weather APIs with minimal delay and intelligent fallback handling.

✨ Dark Mode & Accessibility High-contrast UI and screen-reader-friendly elements for maximum accessibility.

APIs Used:

• NASA Open APIs – APOD, Mars Rovers, satellite data, etc.
• OpenWeatherMap API – For launch site climate data
• CesiumIon- 3D geospatial platform for Earth visualization
• Wikipedia API - Access to Wikipedia articles for space topics

space-research/
├── components/         # Reusable UI components
├── pages/              # Application pages (e.g., index.tsx)
├── public/             # Static assets (images, icons)
├── styles/             # Tailwind & global CSS files
├── utils/              # Helper functions and API configs
├── .env.local          # Environment variables (ignored in git)
└── README.md           # Project documentation

• 🔮 AI Data Summarizer – Use GPT models to summarize NASA datasets
• 🌍 3D Earth/Orbit Simulation – Integrate Three.js for satellite visualization
• 📅 Mission Timeline – Chronological slider of major space missions
• 🧠 Voice Assistant – Ask questions about planets, missions, or space events
• 📡 Live Satellite Tracker – NORAD-based real-time positioning

We welcome all kinds of contributions — from code fixes and feature additions to documentation improvements.

1. Fork this repository
2. Create a new branch: git checkout -b feature-name
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add some feature'
4. Push to your branch: git push origin feature-name
5. Open a Pull Request

Feel free to open issues for discussion or bug reports.

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.

🛰️ Designed & Developed by Stephen Rodrick Deployed by our Team Ctrl alt elite. Powered by Open APIs, open source tech, and a love for the stars. 🌠