Atlas of Space

The Atlas of Space is an interactive visualization to explore the planets, moons, asteroids, and other objects in the Solar System.

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Development

yarn install
yarn netlify dev

Infrastructure dependencies:

• Netlify: static site deployment, server-side functions defined in ./functions
• bunny.net: CDN at atlasofspace.b-cdn.net
• Anthropic: generate grounded facts and summaries via server-side functions

Resources

• Small-body database lookup (ssd.jpl.nasa.gov)
  • API docs
  • Element tables
• Trajectory browser (trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov)
• Ephemeris generator (ssd.jpl.nasa.gov)
• Asteroid fact sheet (nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov)
• Planet textures (solarsystemscope.com)
• Asteroid 3D models (3d-asteroids.space)
• Solar system exploration history (ofrohn.github.io)

To Do

• Physical modeling:
  • Add co-orbitals
  • Model spacecraft (e.g. Parker, Juno, Cassini, Voyager)
    • Choose mission from list to simulate
  • Incorporate apsidal and nodal precession (changing ω and Ω over time)
  • Use ephemeris data for modeling
• Scene rendering:
  • Examine render settings, see if visuals can be improved (e.g. overlap between planet and ellipse)
  • Fix alignment between planet and ellipse
  • Render 3D models for asteroids
  • Improve offscreen indicator rendering for moons when the main planet is not visible
• General:
  • Improve controls for adding asteroids/comets from SBDB
  • Reduce jumpiness of token-by-token rendering for many items (orbital regime fact sheet, spacecraft timelines)
  • Add Hill sphere for planets (w/ rendering on hover)
  • "Learn more" via in-app definition generation
  • Add more information to spacecraft:
    • Gallery images
    • Launch vehicle
    • Creator/operator (e.g. JPL)