Monday, December 22, 2014

Python code for Satellite Tracking.

I've done some elementary Python stuff on the Rasby and in Windows but I need to pick up this "rabbit trail" sometime soon.

http://w5drz.org/python-tracking-satellites/

like most Python code, this looks super-easy. ... almost magic....

de Scott / KD5NJR

2 comments:

  1. import math

    import time

    from datetime import datetime

    import ephem



    degrees_per_radian = 180.0 / math.pi



    home = ephem.Observer()

    home.lon = '-122.63' # +E

    home.lat = '45.56' # +N

    home.elevation = 80 # meters



    # Always get the latest ISS TLE data from:

    # http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/orbit/ISS/SVPOST.html

    iss = ephem.readtle('ISS',

    '1 25544U 98067A 11290.51528320 .00016717 00000-0 10270-3 0 9006',

    '2 25544 51.6378 264.9380 0016170 337.7557 22.2896 15.60833726 20019'

    )



    while True:

    home.date = datetime.utcnow()

    iss.compute(home)

    print('iss: altitude %4.1f deg, azimuth %5.1f deg' % (iss.alt * degrees_per_radian, iss.az * degrees_per_radian))

    time.sleep(1.0)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Important thing is to have the ephem library installed on the platform you compile this Python code, as it is the portion that does the heavy lifting.

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