General Question Can I use Orbiter to visualize and measure...?

[skan]

Hello

I'd like to visualize by myself how is the angle at which we see a satellite at dawn, seen from different latitudes.
I mean, I need to place an Earth, a satellite, and the sun, and visualize the angle they form in 3D.
I'd need to trace Sun's rays (to check dawn condition) and project the satellite position on the Earth surface.
It would also be nice that the program could automatically place the bodies on the proper orbit according to gravity laws and speed.

How can I do it with Orbiter?. Or what other application can I use?

 

[Notebook]

If I understand your question correctly(hopefully!) what if you try an Orbiter setup with MFDTelescope, and the ISS?

Using Heavans-Above:
http://www.heavens-above.com/

You could set your location to an Orbiter base of your choice, and get the passing times and directions of approach and departure of the ISS.

Then install MFDTelescope:
http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=13366&highlight=telescopemfd

Set ISS as the target, and see how you compare with the Heavens-Above programs output?

N.

 

[skan]

Hello

What I really want is to visualize and measure the angle that form the satellite, the Sun and some point on the Earth surface.

Maybe like if you had a CAD o math program able to create spheres in space and draw planes, intersections and measure angles.
The advantages of Orbiter would be that it has physics equations already definded, allowing to place object in its proper location (using gravity and centrifugal forces).

I've found a program that could done something similar, Satellite Tool Kit, but is not free.

regards

 

[Notebook]

Hello skan, and welcomt to Orbiter-Forum.
Satellite Tool Kit is far above my level of competence!

Hopefully others on the forum will help you out with this.

N.

 

[skan]

Hello again.

I've found that STK is not free, but a 1 week trial. Anyway is difficult to use.
I'll continue searching other free programs

 

[Urwumpe]

Wouldn't SciLab be the better choice for this? It sounds a bit too trivial for being solved in Orbiter.

Orbiter can place a satellite into a proper orbit and propagate it, but everything else would require at least a Lua script to calculate numeric data for you.

And by that, using just SciLab might be simpler and get you almost as good data.

 

[skan]

Wouldn't SciLab be the better choice for this? It sounds a bit too trivial for being solved in Orbiter.

Orbiter can place a satellite into a proper orbit and propagate it, but everything else would require at least a Lua script to calculate numeric data for you.

And by that, using just SciLab might be simpler and get you almost as good data.

I was thinking in something already prepared for interactive orbit 3D visualization.

 

[Urwumpe]

I was thinking in something already prepared for interactive orbit 3D visualization.

Yes, but you do no 3D visualisation there, you calculate maximal a 2D sky plot. You need to fit the tools to your problem, not fit your problem to your desired tools.

Also, you don't seem to be interested in interactive visualization by the description of your problem.

If you would want a function module for orbiter to provide Azimuth/Elevation and Alpha/Beta angles for a spacecraft as seen from a ground observer I would instantly agree with you that this would be a good idea.