Find Satellite

The Find Satellite Plugin is a component of the KeepTrack application that provides advanced search functionality for locating satellites based on a wide range of criteria.

Features

• Search for satellites using various parameters including:
  • Orbital elements (inclination, period, right ascension, argument of perigee)
  • Look angles (azimuth, elevation, range)
  • Object characteristics (type, country, bus, payload, shape, RCS)
• Flexible search with adjustable margins for numerical parameters
• Integration with KeepTrack’s search functionality
• Export of search results

User Interface

The plugin adds the following UI elements:

1. A “Find Satellite” icon in the bottom menu for quick access
2. A side menu with a detailed search form
3. Dropdown menus for selecting object type, country, satellite bus, payload, and shape
4. Input fields for specifying orbital parameters and look angles with margins

Usage

Performing a Satellite Search

1. Click the “Find Satellite” icon in the bottom menu
2. Fill in the desired search criteria in the side menu form
3. Click the “Find Satellite(s)” button
4. View the results in the main search bar and visualization

Tip

For numerical parameters, you can specify a target value and a margin. For example, to find satellites with inclinations between 51° and 52°, enter 51.5 in the “Inclination” field and 0.5 in the “Margin” field.

Integration with KeepTrack

The Find Satellite Plugin integrates with several KeepTrack components:

• CatalogManager: Accesses satellite data for searching
• UiManager: Handles UI updates and notifications
• TimeManager: Provides current simulation time for look angle calculations
• DotsManager: Used for checking satellite visibility
• SensorManager: Retrieves current sensor information for look angle calculations

Note

The plugin automatically filters out non-satellite objects (like missiles or markers) when performing look angle searches to improve performance and relevance of results.

Development

When extending or modifying the Find Satellite Plugin, consider the following:

• The plugin follows the KeepTrackPlugin architecture
• Search logic is implemented in static methods for easier testing and potential reuse
• The searchSats method is the core function for performing searches

Code Configuration

The plugin supports the following configuration options:

• searchLimit: Maximum number of results to return (configurable via settings)
• Various margin defaults for different search parameters

Caution

When adding new search criteria, ensure to update both the UI form and the searchSats method to handle the new parameter.

Troubleshooting

• If no results are returned, check that the search criteria aren’t too restrictive
• For look angle searches, ensure that a sensor is selected in the Sensor List plugin
• Check the browser console for any error messages related to the search process

Note

The plugin uses the limitPossibles method to cap the number of results. If you’re not seeing all expected results, check the searchLimit setting.