Space Networking

Inspiration

Communication across space isn’t instant — signals are limited by the speed of light, and messages between Earth and Mars can take up to 24 minutes. That delay completely changes how spacecraft and missions coordinate. We were intrigued by how engineers deal with these challenges through protocols like the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol and Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN). Our goal was to bring those concepts to life through an interactive, visual experience — something that makes the invisible lag of space communication visible.

What it does

Space Networking is an interactive 3D simulation that shows how data travels between orbiting bodies in the Solar System. Each planet, moon, and satellite follows a realistic orbital path, while packets move between them — delayed by distance, occasionally dropped, and always bound by the speed of light.

Users are able to:

Observe signal latency between planets.
Visualize packet propagation and data loss over distance.
Explore how network efficiency changes as planets orbit and align.
Learn how space communication works through a real-time, immersive visualization.

How we built it

We built the front end with Vue 3 and TypeScript, using Three.js for the 3D environment. Each celestial body is defined by parameters such as its gravitational constant (μ), orbital radius, and angular velocity to produce realistic motion. A custom simulation engine handles orbital updates and packet transmissions, modeling light-speed delay and probabilistic loss to simulate real-world constraints.

Tech Stack:

Frontend: Vue 3, TypeScript, Vite
3D Engine: Three.js
UI Components: PrimeVue
Math & Simulation: Custom orbital mechanics + networking model
Design: CSS with a deep-space aesthetic (purples, blacks, and accent highlights)

Challenges we ran into

Building a scientifically accurate orbital model was one of the toughest parts. We had to translate orbital mechanics — angular velocity, gravitational parameters, and radii — into equations that ran smoothly in JavaScript. Getting the geometry right for motion and relative positioning took a lot of math and testing. Another major challenge was keeping the packet transmission logic in sync with the moving orbits, so packets would realistically travel between bodies without timing glitches.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that every part of the simulator was written from scratch — from rendering 3D bodies and calculating orbits to scripting the transmission of packets between them. Rather than using a physics engine, we implemented all orbital motion, velocity updates, and network propagation manually, allowing full control over how bodies move and communicate. It was rewarding to see data packets visually flow across the system — proof that our math, timing, and visualization all came together in a single functioning simulation.

What we learned

We learned how to combine physics and computer graphics to make complex systems understandable. We deepened our understanding of space networking, especially latency, packet loss, and delay over vast distances. On the technical side, we learned how to integrate real-time simulation with modern web frameworks and optimize 3D performance. And above all, we learned that with the right balance of science and design, technical concepts can become both clear and visually compelling.

What's next for Space Networking

Next, we want to evolve Space Networking from a fixed simulation into a fully interactive sandbox. The idea is to let people drag and drop planets, satellites, and relay nodes, experimenting with how distance, orbit, and light-speed delay affect communication.

Planned features include:

Sandbox mode for building and rearranging systems in real time.
Interactive controls to tweak packet loss, delay, and transmission range.
Dynamic routing visualization for multi-hop communication.
Integration with NASA orbital data for realistic positions and scaling.
Educational overlays that explain key concepts like propagation delay, bandwidth limits, and DTN principles.

Ultimately, we want Space Networking to grow into a platform where anyone — from students to engineers — can explore, experiment, and understand how data moves across the cosmos.