Three.js Journey

Setup

Download Node.js. Run this followed commands:

# Install dependencies (only the first time)
npm install

# Run the local server at localhost:8080
npm run dev

# Build for production in the dist/ directory
npm run build

Textures

Star maps https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004800/a004851/starmap_2020_4k.exr https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004800/a004851/starmap_2020_8k.exr https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004800/a004851/starmap_2020_16k.exr

Night lights https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/esd/eo/images/imagerecords/144000/144897/BlackMarble_2016_01deg_gray.jpg https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/esd/eo/images/imagerecords/144000/144897/BlackMarble_2016_3km_gray.jpg

Clouds https://neo.gsfc.nasa.gov/archive/bluemarble/cloud_combined_8192.tif https://neo.gsfc.nasa.gov/archive/bluemarble/cloud.E.2001210.21600x21600.png https://neo.gsfc.nasa.gov/archive/bluemarble/cloud.W.2001210.21600x21600.png

Color Maps https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/esd/eo/images/bmng/bmng-base/march/world.200403.3x5400x2700.jpg https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/esd/eo/images/bmng/bmng-base/march/world.200403.3x21600x10800.jpg

Satellite https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/cds/3d/resources/model/aeronomy-of-ice-in-the-mesosphere/Aeronomy%20of%20Ice%20in%20the%20Mesosphere.glb

Orbit Simulation

Start the orbit websocket server first:

python scripts/simulate_sun_sync_orbit.py

Then run the Vite app and open the visualizer:

npm run dev

The simulator streams a circular sun-synchronous orbit to satellite_ECI, rotates world so Earth spins under the inertial orbit, and keeps the satellite model at 10x real-life scale. Useful options:

python scripts/simulate_sun_sync_orbit.py --time-scale 300
python scripts/simulate_sun_sync_orbit.py --altitude-km 600
python scripts/simulate_sun_sync_orbit.py --follow-camera

When the visualizer is following the satellite, use the keyboard to adjust the satellite-relative view: arrow keys orbit the camera, + and - zoom, W/S pan along-track, A/D pan cross-track, R/F pan radial, 0 resets the follow camera, and Space toggles follow mode.