Sat Constellations

The Sat Constellations Plugin is a component of the KeepTrack application that provides functionality for viewing and interacting with predefined groups of satellites, known as constellations.

Features

• View predefined satellite constellations and groups
• Visualize uplink/downlink and crosslink connections for certain constellations
• Accessible via bottom menu icon
• Integration with search functionality and group management

User Interface

The plugin adds the following UI elements:

1. A “Constellations” icon in the bottom menu for quick access
2. A side menu with a list of available satellite constellations and groups

Available Constellations and Groups

The plugin provides access to various satellite groups, including:

• Space Stations
• Amateur Radio satellites
• GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS navigation satellites
• Communication satellite constellations (Iridium, Orbcomm, Globalstar, SES)
• Military satellite systems (Milstar, AEHF, DSCS, WGS, SBIRS)
• Commercial constellations (Starlink)

Note

Some constellations, like AEHF and WGS, will display notional uplink/downlink and crosslink connections when selected.

Usage

Viewing a Satellite Constellation

1. Click the “Constellations” icon in the bottom menu
2. Select a constellation or group from the list in the side menu
3. The visualization will update to highlight the selected group of satellites
4. For certain constellations, connection lines will be drawn between satellites

Tip

When a constellation is selected, the search bar will be populated with the satellite numbers of the group, allowing for easy further analysis.

Integration with KeepTrack

The Sat Constellations Plugin integrates with several KeepTrack components:

• GroupManager: Creates and manages satellite groups
• CatalogManager: Handles satellite data and manages constellation links
• LineManager: Draws connection lines between satellites in certain constellations
• TimeManager: Provides current time for constellation visualizations
• UiManager: Handles UI updates and search functionality

Development

When extending or modifying the Sat Constellations Plugin, consider the following:

• The plugin follows the KeepTrackPlugin architecture
• It registers event handlers for UI interactions
• Constellation selection is handled by the constellationMenuClick static method
• Some constellations require additional processing to display connection lines

Caution

When adding new constellations, ensure to update both the side menu HTML and the constellationMenuClick method to handle the new group.

Code Configuration

The plugin supports the following configuration options:

• bottomIconImg: Image for the bottom menu icon
• bottomIconLabel: Label for the bottom menu icon
• dragOptions: Configuration for making the side menu draggable

Troubleshooting

• If a constellation doesn’t appear to load, check the browser console for any error messages
• Ensure that the required KeepTrack components (GroupManager, CatalogManager, etc.) are properly initialized
• For performance issues with large constellations, consider optimizing the group creation methods or adding loading indicators for long-running processes

Note

The plugin uses regular expressions for some group selections. If a satellite isn’t appearing in an expected group, verify that its name matches the regex pattern used for that group.