A simple satellite attitude simulator in python

Author: Miguel Nunes

For Documenting the code use:

http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008

example comment for functions

def square_and_rooter(x):
    """Returns the square root of self times self."""
    ...

This code using the following environment Mac OS 10.8.3 (Mountain Lion) Enthought Canopy

dependencies

• numpy **
• matplotlib **
• mayavi (install via Package Manager)
• vtk (install via Package Manager)
• geomag (packaged in thirparty folder)
• sgp4 (packaged in thirparty folder)

** automatically installed on Enthought or Anaconda

1. download from url https://pypi.python.org/pypi/geomag/

2. unzip, open terminal and 'cd' to the unzipped folder

3. install: $python setup.py install

4. copy 'WMM.COF' file you must copy the file 'WMM.COF' inside the site-packages folder just created by the install. The installation step copies the file to another place that the Enthought canopy cannot recognize.

$ cp WMM.COF /Users/<your_user>/Library/Enthought/Canopy_64bit/User/lib/python2.7/site-packages/geomag/

1. download from url https://pypi.python.org/pypi/sgp4/

2. unzip, open terminal and 'cd' to the unzipped folder

3. install: $python setup.py install

Future development

• integrate pyEphem for the SGP4 integration http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12093766/rectangular-coordinates-for-earth-satellites-in-pyephem