ISS Real Time Positions

[LTrotsky]

Hello Orbitnauts.

First Post.

New to Orbiter.

Am attempting to set up a default scenario (using the standard DG - I am new, folks!) which has the current datetime (whenever I load from launchpad) and which, in addition, also has the current real positions of all relevant objects (planets, moons, spacecraft).

It appears that simply adding a semi-colon after MJD runs the solar system from the config file so that planets and moons are in their current real-time positions. However, this does not appear to be true for satellites.

I looked at a 2009 thread about realtime ISS positions for orbiter; it seems that there is no function in Orbiter 2010 to have a default scenario that starts at the current datetime with updated, real, positions of the ISS. This can be done, however, by converting information from

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/orbit/ISS/SVPOST.html

into parameters used by Orbiter 2010, and setting the MJD in the editor to match the date of the positions estimated in the NASA data. While this method will not allow for a default scenario with the current datetime, it will be a rough approximation of the time you start the scenario, give or take a few days.

I was wondering if the community had developed an easier way for all of this. In essence, a default scenario that upon loading starts with the current datetime and the current real positions of all planets, moons and (actually existing) spacecraft (ISS/MIR).

Separately, and perhaps deserving a different thread, I am having enormous trouble understanding the TransX MFD, and also am having crashes whenever I attempt to use this MFD during a scenario.

 

[boogabooga]

Hello.

You need to use the scenario editor.

Try this
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2617"]Scenario Editor TLE[/ame]

It lets you import two line elements that you can find for real objects into Orbiter. Use the most recent TLE to get a real time approximation in Orbiter.

Don't expect Orbiter to predict the ISS real time position to the same level that you get on the websites. Two reasons:

1) The ISS gets boosted, etc. and Orbiter has no idea when this occurs.

2) The long term perturbations, (micro drag, non-spherical earth, etc.) are modeled in Orbiter, but probably not sufficiently for long-term trajectory prediction of real spacecraft

 

[LTrotsky]

Okay Booga, thank you.

It is understandable that there is no module or add-on that would allow essentially automatic update of current ISS positions, due to the factors you mentioned. The NASA data, as I understand it, is merely a prediction for the same reason.

It seems not too much trouble to use the resource you described to paste in the ISS telemetry, but it remains to be seen whether I possess the capacity to do it correctly.

 

[boogabooga]

NASA knows when the boots will occur. And, the TLEs are updated almost daily, and probably based on observation/navigation.

I'm sure it's quite possible to create an application that checks the TLEs from a database everyday and create a scn. file, but I don't think there would be much interest, since there are already websites to do just that.

Honestly, there are better things to do in Orbiter. Why don't you try getting to the ISS in the DG?