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Digital Space Twin Overview

The Digital Space Twin provides a dynamic, physics-based representation of satellites, debris, rocket bodies, and space weather conditions — enabling mission planning, monitoring, and situational awareness in a single visual interface.

What You Can Do

With Digital Space Twin, you can:

  • Visualize active and inactive satellites in 3D

  • Track objects in real time or simulated time

  • Switch between reference frames (ECI, ECEF, RIC)

  • Toggle data sources (Space-Track, SGSN)

  • Monitor orbital drift and maneuver history

  • Analyze debris density and orbital congestion

  • Overlay space weather conditions

  • Inspect detailed satellite profiles


When to Use Digital Space Twin

Use this tool when you need:

  • A spatial understanding of orbital environments

  • Visual confirmation of anomalies

  • Rapid situational awareness

  • Mission briefing visuals

  • High-level executive dashboards


Interface Overview

The interface is organized into:

  • Search & Object Panel (left)

  • 3D Visualization Canvas (center)

  • Object Profile Panel (right)

  • Time Controls (bottom)

  • Visualization Controls (top right)


Searching for Space Objects

Use the Search Space Objects panel to find satellites in the catalog.

You can:

  • Search by name or NORAD ID

  • View Bookmarks

  • Access Lists

  • Select multiple objects


Bookmarking & Lists

The Digital Space Twin allows you to organize objects using Bookmarks and Lists. While they may seem similar, they serve different purposes depending on how you work.

  • Add frequently monitored objects to Bookmarks

  • Create and manage Lists

  • Toggle “Show bookmarked objects only”

Bookmarks

Bookmarks are used to quickly save and return to individual objects of interest.

Use bookmarks when you want to:

  • Keep track of a specific satellite or object

  • Quickly return to frequently viewed objects

  • Build a lightweight set of personal favorites

  • Monitor a small number of objects without creating a structured group

Bookmarks are best for quick access and personal tracking.


Lists

Lists are structured collections of multiple objects that can be used for analysis, monitoring, or workflows.

Use lists when you want to:

  • Group objects by mission, customer, or interest area

  • Monitor multiple objects together

  • Perform analysis or tracking workflows

  • Share or reuse object groupings (if supported)

  • Apply actions to a set of objects instead of just one

Lists are best for organized tracking and analysis at scale.


When Should I Use Bookmarks vs Lists?

If you want to...

Use

Quickly save a few objects

Bookmarks

Organize many objects into groups

Lists

Track personal favorites

Bookmarks

Run analysis on multiple objects

Lists

Manage operational workflows

Lists

👉 In short:

  • Bookmarks = quick, personal, lightweight

  • Lists = structured, scalable, workflow-driven


Can Bookmarks Also Be in Lists?

Yes.

Bookmarks and Lists are not mutually exclusive:

  • An object you bookmark can also be included in one or more lists

  • Bookmarks do not automatically create or update lists

  • Lists are intentionally managed collections, while bookmarks are more informal

This means you can:

  • Bookmark an object for quick access

  • Add that same object to a list for analysis or monitoring workflows


Recommended Workflow

A common way to use both:

  1. Bookmark objects as you discover them

  2. Later, organize important ones into Lists

  3. Use Lists for tracking, alerts, or analysis


Selecting an Object

Clicking a satellite opens the Profile Panel.

The Profile includes:

  • Object name and NORAD ID

  • Object type

  • Operational state

  • Mission type

  • Country

  • Sector

  • Source

Available actions:

  • View Full Details

  • Remove from List


Object Analytics Panels

Each object profile includes expandable analysis sections:

  • Positional Data

  • Longitudinal Drift History

  • Maneuver History

  • Agatha Interest History

Note: Drift will display for geosynchronous objects only. Please click the tooltips for more information

Longitudinal drift History

Longitudinal Drift History is a timeline view of how a GEO satellite’s longitude has changed over time, showing its drift rate and overall movement pattern.

Maneuver History

Maneuver History is a timeline of detected or recorded orbital maneuvers for a satellite, showing when changes in its orbit happened and how its trajectory evolved over time.

Interest Factor History

Interest Factor History is the record of anomaly detections and insights generated by our Agatha AI engine for a space object over time.


Reference Frames

Switch coordinate systems using the Ref. Frames dropdown.

Available options:

  • ECI (Earth-Centered Inertial)

  • ECEF (Earth-Centered Earth-Fixed)

  • RIC (Radial-Intrack-Crosstrack)

This allows you to analyze motion relative to different coordinate systems.


Data Sources

Use the Source selector to toggle between:

  • Space-Track.org is the U.S. government’s public source for space situational awareness data. It provides information used to track satellites and orbital debris, support spaceflight safety, and serve satellite operators, researchers, and other approved users.

  • SGSN (Slingshot Global Sensor Network) which is Slingshot’s own global network of ground-based optical sensors that collect tracking data day and night, from LEO through GEO and beyond.

Different sources may provide varying fidelity and refresh cadence.


Visualization Controls

The top-right controls allow you to toggle:

  • Search Panel visibility

  • Infinite Planar Grid

  • Space Weather overlay

  • Starfield

  • Sun Marker

  • Legend


Legend

The Legend explains object classifications:

  • Blue – Active Satellites

  • Orange – Inactive Satellites

  • Yellow – Debris

  • Pink – Rocket Bodies

  • Gray – Unknown


Space Weather Overlay

Enable Space Weather to visualize environmental conditions.

Options include:

  • Aurora

  • Magnetic Field Lines

  • Solar Wind

Data source:
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

Additional panels include:

  • Current Conditions

  • NOAA scales (R/S/G)

  • Operator Risk

  • Sparklines

  • SWPC Alerts Feed


Time Controls

The bottom timeline controls simulation and playback.

You can:

  • Toggle Live Mode

  • Pause or resume playback

  • Scrub forward/backward in time

  • Adjust simulation speed

Note: Time is presented in UTC only.


Simulation Speed Options

Available playback speeds include:

  • Real Time

  • 1 min/sec

  • 10 min/sec

  • 1 hour/sec

  • 1 day/sec


Real-Time Mode

When in Live Mode, the system displays near real-time orbital updates.


Orbit Visualization

The 3D canvas displays:

  • Earth model

  • Orbital paths

  • Object positions


Advanced Use Cases

Digital Space Twin can support:

  • Conjunction visualization

  • Maneuver verification

  • GEO drift analysis

  • LEO congestion monitoring

  • Space weather risk assessment

  • Mission rehearsal and what-if analysis


Best Practices

For effective use:

  • Use ECI for orbital motion analysis

  • Use ECEF for Earth-relative positioning

  • Combine Space Weather overlay with altitude monitoring

  • Adjust playback speed to analyze maneuver timing

  • Use Lists for focused monitoring sets


Summary

Digital Space Twin provides a physics-informed, visually intuitive representation of the space domain — enabling operational decision-making through immersive data visualization.


You’re Ready to Explore Orbit 🚀

Digital Space Twin brings the orbital environment to life.

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