Next Launches

The Next Launches Plugin is a component of the KeepTrack application that provides functionality for viewing and exporting information about upcoming space launches.

Features

• Displays a table of upcoming launches with details such as launch window, mission name, location, agency, and country
• Fetches launch data from The Space Devs API
• Allows exporting of launch information to CSV format
• Integrates with KeepTrack’s UI and sound systems

User Interface

The plugin adds the following UI elements:

1. A “Next Launches” icon in the bottom menu for quick access
2. A side menu with a table displaying upcoming launch information
3. An “Export Launch Info” button to save launch data as CSV

Note

The side menu can be dragged to adjust its size, with a minimum width of 450px and a maximum width of 650px.

Launch Information Displayed

• Launch Window (start time in UTC)
• Mission Name
• Rocket Name
• Launch Location
• Agency
• Country

Tip

Clicking on mission names, rocket names, locations, or agencies that have associated URLs will open more detailed information in a colorbox overlay.

Usage

Viewing Upcoming Launches

1. Click the “Next Launches” icon in the bottom menu
2. The side menu will open, displaying a table of upcoming launches
3. If data hasn’t been fetched yet, the plugin will retrieve it from The Space Devs API

Exporting Launch Information

1. Open the Next Launches side menu
2. Click the “Export Launch Info” button at the bottom of the menu
3. The launch data will be saved as a CSV file

Integration with KeepTrack

The Next Launches Plugin integrates with several KeepTrack components:

• UI Manager: Handles UI updates and event registration
• Sound Manager: Plays a sound effect when exporting data
• Error Manager: Displays warnings if the API is unavailable

Caution

The plugin uses different API endpoints based on whether it’s running on localhost or a production server. This ensures appropriate usage of The Space Devs API resources.

Development

When extending or modifying the Next Launches Plugin, consider the following:

• The plugin follows the KeepTrackPlugin architecture
• It fetches data from The Space Devs API and processes it into a standardized format
• The table is dynamically generated based on the fetched launch data

Code Configuration

The plugin supports the following configuration options:

• bottomIconImg: Image for the bottom menu icon (default: calendar2.png)
• bottomIconLabel: Label for the bottom menu icon (default: “Next Launches”)
• dragOptions: Configuration for making the side menu draggable

Note

The plugin uses a CSS file (next-launches.css) for styling, which is dynamically imported when the plugin is initialized.

Troubleshooting

• If the launch table doesn’t populate, check the browser console for API-related error messages
• Ensure that the required KeepTrack components (UI Manager, Sound Manager, etc.) are properly initialized
• For issues with the colorbox overlays, verify that the colorbox library is correctly loaded and configured

Note

The plugin caches the launch data after the first fetch. If you need to refresh the data, you may need to reload the entire application.