Orbital missions: fly a satellite
Choose a thrust direction, wait for the right point in the orbit and fire the engine. In the Above Us simulator, you fly the AU-1 training spacecraft and try to reach a target orbit within a limited delta-v budget.
Five challenges from your first orbit to GEO
Start by forming a circular orbit 400 km high. Then try transferring from an elliptical orbit to a circular one and changing the inclination of the orbital plane.
The next two missions focus on geostationary orbit: complete a GEO transfer, then move the spacecraft to a target longitude and stop its drift. Each task has target tolerances and a limited maneuver budget.
What a delta-v budget means
Delta-v describes the available change in velocity. Here it is your maneuver budget: using the engine leaves less for later corrections. Each attempt lets you discover why a few well-timed burns can be more useful than continuous thrust.
Watch apogee, the farthest point from Earth, and perigee, the nearest. A prograde burn at perigee raises the opposite side of the orbit; changing the orbital plane calls for a different thrust direction.
Getting started with the controls
In Standard mode, select a maneuver direction. The spacecraft turns itself and prepares the main engine. Time acceleration helps you wait for the right position; hints and an orbit diagram help you check your plan.
Manual mode adds attitude and correction-thruster controls. You can learn the basic maneuvers in Standard mode and then repeat a mission with manual control. Results and progress are saved in this browser.