High-Level Project Summary
Our team developed a ReactJS-based solution hosted in AWS that collects debris data from Space-Track.org. This data was then transformed into coordinates (latitude, longitude, high) via the Satellite.js API, which could then be interpreted and rendered by WorldWind Web. It solved the challenge, since it displays debris data moving in the WorldWind in real time. Our visual solution allows for a convenient overview of all current space debris and is a good platform for anyone to tackle this real challenge to current and future plans for space missions.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
We first used ReactJS and Microsoft VSCode to make the REST requests to Space-Track.org in order to gather data on the location of tracked debris objects in Earth’s orbit. We then made use of Satellite.js to convert the raw data on debris into data on the geographical position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of each debris in real time. With this data, we used NASA WorldWind Web, an open-source, geospatial virtual globe, to display debris objects onto a globe for the user to interact with. The location of each debris is updated every second, providing a real time animation of space debris orbiting Earth. We also made use of technologies such as Git and Amazon AWS Amplify to host the demo. We hoped to present a demo of debris data moving in the virtual globe in real time, with real data fetched from Space-Track.org as a sample visualization . This project demonstrates the benefits of providing real time information about where the debris and their trajectory poses a potential threat for future space missions.
Space Agency Data
We made use of NASA WorldWind and data from Space-Track.org to display the location of tracked debris on a virtual globe.
We know that there's been a lot of effort from space agencies to enable safe and more affordable ways for space travel. However, space debris travelling at high speeds in Earth’s orbit will make this future increasingly harder to achieve; this is why this information is so important, since it provides an insight of where and possibly when a mission can be done in a safe manner.
Hackathon Journey
Our experience was very positive. We had the chance to work in a multicultural environment with different background experiences, and we definitely learned from it. One of the major setbacks to this challenge was that not all the debris could be displayed on the globe. Gathering too much data from the REST request results in an error in the console and ultimately breaks the demo by not displaying any debris. Due to limited time, we decided to display a limited amount of debris on the globe. The demo would then serve as a foundation for monitoring space debris for other developers to improve upon in the future. A special thanks to Brit for organising and inviting all the team members.
References
WorldWind Web
Space-Track.org
Satellite.js
ReactJS
Node.js
Amazon AWS Amplify
Git & Github
Google Drive, Google Meet & Google Docs
Tags
#mercator #debris #worldwind #reactjs #satellite.js #space-track #2021
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.