Learn¶
Interactive tutorials and reference material for the satkit package, organized from foundational concepts to advanced applications. Tutorials are Jupyter notebooks with runnable code; theory pages provide deeper mathematical background.
Foundations¶
Core concepts that underpin the rest of the library.
| Tutorial | Description |
|---|---|
| Time Systems | UTC, TAI, TT, TDB, UT1, GPS conversions and why they matter |
| Quaternions | Constructing, composing, and interpolating 3D rotations |
| Coordinate Frames | GCRF, ITRF, TEME, and the rotations between them |
| Geodetic Coordinates | The itrfcoord data type: geodetic, Cartesian, and local tangent planes |
| Keplerian Elements | Orbital elements, Cartesian conversion, and two-body vs numerical propagation |
SGP4 Propagation¶
Analytic mean-element propagation from TLEs and OMMs.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Theory: TLEs, SGP4 & OMMs | TLE/OMM formats, SGP4 history, and mean-element ephemeris concepts |
| Two-Line Element Set | Loading and using TLEs with SGP4 |
| TLE Fitting | Fitting TLEs from state vectors |
| SGP4 vs Numerical Propagation | Comparing analytical and numerical orbit propagation |
Numerical Propagation¶
High-fidelity force-model propagation with Runge-Kutta and Gauss-Jackson integrators.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Theory: Force Model | Modeled forces: gravity, third-body, drag, SRP, solid Earth tides, GR |
| Theory: ODE Integrators | RKV / GJ8 integrators, step-size selection, tolerances |
| Theory: State Vectors, STM & Covariance | satstate class, state transition matrix, covariance, maneuvers |
| Theory: Maneuver Coordinate Frames | RTN / NTW / LVLH definitions and when to use each |
| GPS Example | GPS orbit fit against ESA SP3 truth, integrator comparison |
| Orbit Maneuvers | Impulsive maneuvers, frame choice, low-thrust orbit raising |
Applications¶
Common tasks built on top of the core library.
| Tutorial | Description |
|---|---|
| Plots | Plotting satellite orbits and ground tracks |
| Satellite Ground Contacts | Computing satellite ground contacts and visibility |
| Eclipse | Computing satellite eclipse times |
| Sunrise & Sunset | Computing sunrise, sunset, and twilight times |
| Optical Observations | Simulating optical satellite observations |
Advanced Topics¶
Specialized capabilities for mission analysis and design.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Theory: Lambert's Problem | Algorithm details: Izzo's method, Lancaster-Blanchard parameterization, multi-revolution solutions |
| Lambert Targeting | Orbit transfer design with delta-v computation and pork-chop plots |
| Planetary Ephemerides | JPL DE440 and low-precision Sun/Moon/planet positions |
| Atmospheric Density | NRLMSISE-00 density profiles, solar activity effects, and drag |
| Covariance Propagation | State transition matrix, uncertainty growth, and orbital frame analysis |
| Orbital Mean-Element Message | Working with OMM records |