Orbit Visualizer Documentation
Task-focused guides for the ExoAtlas Orbit Visualizer — a free, browser-based tool for building, propagating, analyzing, and sharing Earth orbits. Start with your first orbit, then go deeper into pass prediction and deep-link automation.
Guides
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Your first orbit
Load the ISS from the built-in catalog, play the scenario, and open the live ground track — no account required.
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Interface tour
Walk through every control: sidebar sections, time controls, 3D scene, Analysis panel tabs, keyboard shortcut, and the footer buttons.
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Ground tracks
Read the 2D map: sinusoidal path, westward shift, live marker, site markers, object checkboxes, and PNG export.
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Ground sites & access
Add a ground station, set an elevation mask, and compute AOS/LOS pass tables you can download as CSV.
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Conjunction screening
Screen two objects for close approaches: range chart, RIC relative-motion view, and events table (TCA, miss, relative speed).
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Maneuvers
Add impulsive burns (manual RIC/ECI or presets), read the ΔV budget, and understand the SGP4-to-J2 post-maneuver handoff.
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Satellite catalog
Individual satellites and constellation groups, epoch-age chips, stale-TLE threshold, and
?catalog=deep links. -
URL API
Reference for every query parameter: TLE and element deep links, catalog presets, propagator overrides, and shareable scenario links.
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Plans & limits
Full free vs. Pro comparison: exact limits for sites, spans, maneuver nodes, groups, exports, and cloud saves.
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FAQ
Answers to common questions about propagators, accuracy, TLEs, export formats, sharing, and Pro features.
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Troubleshooting
Fixes for blank canvas, SGP4 error badges, decayed TLEs, stale TLE warnings, permalink too large, and cloud save issues.
More guides are on the way. Until then, the guides above and the shared concepts library cover the essentials.
Shared concepts
Background reading that applies to any orbital-mechanics tool, not just this app:
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How to read a TLE
Field-by-field anatomy of the two-line element format, epoch age, and mean vs. osculating elements.
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Propagation models
What two-body, J2 secular, and SGP4/SDP4 each model and omit — and when each is appropriate.