SpriteOrbits

For guessing and updating the trajectories of Sprites.

Introduction

SpriteOrbits is being developed to predict the orbits of KickSat Sprites. The code uses Orekit, an open source Java class library for orbital mechanics.

Orekit embodies a great deal of orbital mechanics knowledge, much of it specific to the solar system. It features more than enough to provide the basis for orbital prediction in future Sprite-based missions. Such missions might include not only a sequel to KickSat, but perhaps someday Mason Peck's original vision for Sprites in interplanetary missions.

A project to provide an animation of SpriteOrbits won the Denso IT Laboratory Prize at the 2014 Tokyo International Space Apps Challenge.

Project Persephone sponsors the development of SpriteOrbits for the KickSat 2 mission, a followon to the KickSat 1 mission that launched on SpaceX CRS-3 as a participant in NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) initiative.

Metawerx co-sponsors SpriteOrbits by offering Java web hosting with full tech support.