Using KSP to track real-world satellites?

[digitalsingularity]

Just curious... has anyone tried to use Kerbal and mods like Real Solar System to track real-world satellites / space ships? This is an area that has always fascinated me... and to be frank, all the satellite trackers I've seen have been very lacking. It would be cool to suck in real-world telemetry and build an interactive map of man-made objects throughout the solar system (and their paths).

If this hasn't been done before, I would imagine someone would need to set up a server to constantly import tracking data and make this available in some sort of useful format. From there, a mod in the game would need to import this data into the game.

Of course, a long-term stretch goal would be to actually have realistic craft files AND info on how much propellant a ship has left. I can imagine how cool it'd be to direct something like our Casini orbiter.

[Themohawkninja]

Something tells me that between floating-point errors, using patched conics instead of n-body physics, and lack of orbital decay, such a system would be very inaccurate over any period of time exceeding a few days.

[digitalsingularity]

True, but one could sorta fudge your way around that a little by having the mod periodically grab the data from a centralized server and correct where the ships actually are. I wouldn't expect such changes to the Kerbal physics engine anytime in the near future, but maybe it'll be hit up eventually.

[Themohawkninja]

True, but one could sorta fudge your way around that a little by having the mod periodically grab the data from a centralized server and correct where the ships actually are. I wouldn't expect such changes to the Kerbal physics engine anytime in the near future, but maybe it'll be hit up eventually.

I suppose you could do that. You would need a constant (or at least intermittent) Internet connection, but I don't see why not.

[NovaSilisko]

I'd say check out NASA's Eyes On The Solar System thing... it doesn't have -all- satellites, of course, but it has quite a few.

[digitalsingularity]

I'd say check out NASA's Eyes On The Solar System thing... it doesn't have -all- satellites, of course, but it has quite a few.

Alright, I just started playing around with Eyes On The Solar System... pretty damned cool. Now, someone just needs to take the next step and integrate something like this with Kerbal. It'd also be pretty nifty to have a dynamic loading of craft files from a centralized server to support something like this. I can only imagine how huge of a project it'd all be.

Thanks for telling me about NASA's software!

[K^2]

The biggest effect on Earth satellites is the fact that Earth isn't a perfect sphere. So orbital elements evolve over time due to perturbations.

It would probably be pretty straight forward to write a mod that looks after that stuff, though. I can write the code for it, but I have zero experience with KSP modding, and I'm not sure I have the time to learn all of the details. But if somebody wants to team up for this, let me know.

[digitalsingularity]

The biggest effect on Earth satellites is the fact that Earth isn't a perfect sphere. So orbital elements evolve over time due to perturbations.

It would probably be pretty straight forward to write a mod that looks after that stuff, though. I can write the code for it, but I have zero experience with KSP modding, and I'm not sure I have the time to learn all of the details. But if somebody wants to team up for this, let me know.

My problem is... I'm a database guy. I'd imagine we'd need to set up a relational database to slurp in satellite tracking info on a regular basis, put this in a useful format, then allow the mod to connect to the database to pull the latest info. I don't really have time to divert the right amount of attention to this, sadly. The database / data import process is just one part of the equation... mods are something I haven't worked on.

[AeroEngy]

You could read in updated NORAD TLEs from here to periodically correct for drift and the oblique spheroid problem. To get close-ish anyway. http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/

However, since Kerbin is not even close to the same size as Earth it wouldn't work. You have to use something like the real solar system mod to correct the grav constants, radius, etc.

Edited January 14, 2014 by AeroEngy

[K^2]

Well, this would have to either work with the real Solar System mod, or convert all orbital elements and perturbation parameters to scale them down to Kerbin size. Both are entirely reasonable options.

[AeroEngy]

Well, this would have to either work with the real Solar System mod, or convert all orbital elements and perturbation parameters to scale them down to Kerbin size. Both are entirely reasonable options.

The problem with trying to scale down the orbit elements is that they would then not even remotely track "real-world satellites" as the stated in the OP. You can't have the period, altitude, etc. match on a body with different physical characteristics so you would have to use the Real Solar System mod.

Note: I have never used that mod and only assume it sets the correct body parameters.

[K^2]

The problem with trying to scale down the orbit elements is that they would then not even remotely track "real-world satellites" as the stated in the OP.

Yeah, I just realized that you are right. I mean, it's not hard to scale so that all motion matches real satellites, but then LEO satellites would end up in atmosphere.

So it'd have to run with the real system mod, then. And no, I haven't tried it either and make similar assumptions.

[digitalsingularity]

Yeah, I just realized that you are right. I mean, it's not hard to scale so that all motion matches real satellites, but then LEO satellites would end up in atmosphere.

So it'd have to run with the real system mod, then. And no, I haven't tried it either and make similar assumptions.

Yup, I can only imagine how difficult it'd be constantly having to develop translations for the smaller kerbal system. I'm not just referring to Earth satellites here either. It would be pretty cool to develop feeds for a bunch of our other satellites and rovers eventually.