Visualizing the Artemis II Mission
16 hours ago
- The author created a visualization of the Artemis II mission using Foxglove, a tool for robotics data, integrating Orion's trajectory from JPL Horizons API and photos from Hank Green's Artemis-Timeline project.
- Data processing involved Python scripts to fetch trajectory, download and resize photos, and synchronize them into an MCAP file, with challenges in aligning timestamps.
- The 3D scene used NASA's AROW Orion model from Ian Dees's artemis-viewer for realistic visuals, including solar arrays in on-orbit configuration.
- The layout was split into two tabs: a 'Visuals Tab' emphasizing the 3D orbital view and photos, and a 'Data Tab' for detailed plots and mission state information.
- A custom Foxglove extension, a photo stepper panel, was developed to navigate through nearly 500 mission photos, allowing filtering by camera and slideshow functionality, with synchronization across all panels via a shared timeline.
- Finishing touches included adding a randomized starfield and textured Earth and Moon models to enhance the visual depth of the scene without distracting from the core data.
- The project is fully available on GitHub, including build scripts, models, MCAP files, layouts, and extensions, requiring Python 3.10+ and Foxglove for setup, with instructions in the README.