SkyTrack lets you explore satellites orbiting Earth and the inner solar system in an interactive 3D environment. It combines accurate orbital data from the Celestrak API with real astronomical calculations, rendered with Three.js inside a React + TypeScript + Vite application.
- Live satellite visualization — real orbital positions updated in real-time using SGP4/SDP4 propagation
- Orbital trails showing recent trajectory
- Dynamic glow effects — satellites pulse when idle and highlight on selection
- Camera focus — click or select a satellite to smoothly center and follow it
- Coverage footprint — ground coverage cone projected on Earth for the selected satellite
- Starlink laser mesh network — inter-satellite optical links visualized as a dynamic mesh between nearby Starlink satellites
- Sidebar satellite list with color indicators
- Real solar position calculated from Spencer 1971 algorithm (Julian date → ecliptic longitude → ECI)
- Sun rendered with core sphere and additive corona glow
- Earth with specular ocean shading and atmospheric limb glow
- Mercury, Venus, and Mars rendered at proportional real-world radii (Earth = 1)
- Inner planet positions derived from J2000.0 Keplerian orbital elements (Standish & Williams 2001)
- Geocentric orbit paths for all four inner planets, visible when focusing the Sun
- Top-down solar system camera view covering the full Mars orbit (~50 AU range)
- Smooth lerp transitions when focusing Earth or the Sun
- Orbit, zoom, and pan with standard mouse controls
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Language | TypeScript 5 |
| Framework | React 18 + Vite 5 |
| 3D Engine | Three.js + OrbitControls |
| Orbital Mechanics | satellite.js (SGP4/SDP4, GMST) |
| Satellite Data | Celestrak API (TLE) |
git clone https://github.com/OlivierFch/sky-track.git
cd sky-trackpnpm installpnpm devOpen http://localhost:5173 in your browser.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Left Click + Drag | Rotate the view |
| Scroll | Zoom in / out |
| Click satellite | Focus camera + follow orbit |
| Click empty space | Deselect |
| H | Toggle Earth globe visibility |
| Focus on Earth (sidebar) | Re-center on Earth |
| Focus on the Sun (sidebar) | Switch to top-down solar system view |