groundTrack

R2026b

Add ground track object to satellite, platform or Moon in scenario

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Syntax

groundTrack(sat)
groundTrack(pltf)
groundTrack(moon)
groundTrack(___,Name=Value)

Description

groundTrack(sat) adds ground track visualization for each satellite in sat based on their current positions. The ground track begins at the scenario StartTime, and ends at the StopTime. The spacing between samples that make up the ground track visualization is determined by the scenario SampleTime. If no viewer is open, a new viewer opens and displays the ground track. If a viewer is already open, the ground track is added to that viewer. By default, ground tracks will be displayed in 2-D.

groundTrack(pltf) adds ground track visualization for each platform in pltf based on their current positions. The ground track begins at the scenario StartTime, and ends at the StopTime. The spacing between samples that make up the ground track visualization is determined by the scenario SampleTime. If no viewer is open, a new viewer opens and displays the ground track. If a viewer is already open, the ground track is added to that viewer. By default, ground tracks will be displayed in 2-D.

groundTrack(moon) adds ground track visualization for the Moon central body based on their current positions. The ground track begins at the scenario StartTime, and ends at the StopTime. The spacing between samples that make up the ground track visualization is determined by the scenario SampleTime. If no viewer is open, a new viewer opens and displays the ground track. If a viewer is already open, the ground track is added to that viewer. By default, ground tracks will be displayed in 2-D.

groundTrack(___,Name=Value) adds a groundTrack object by using one or more name-value arguments. Enclose each property name in quotes.

example

Examples

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Open Live Script

Create a satellite scenario object. 

startTime = datetime(2020,5,10);
stopTime = startTime + days(5);
sampleTime = 60;                                       % seconds
sc = satelliteScenario(startTime,stopTime,sampleTime);

Calculate the semimajor axis of the geosynchronous satellite. 

earthAngularVelocity = 0.0000729211585530;                                             % rad/s
orbitalPeriod = 2*pi/earthAngularVelocity;                                             % seconds
earthStandardGravitationalParameter = 398600.4418e9;                                   % m^3/s^2
semiMajorAxis = (earthStandardGravitationalParameter*((orbitalPeriod/(2*pi))^2))^(1/3);

Define the remaining orbital elements of the geosynchronous satellite. 

eccentricity = 0;
inclination = 60;                  % degrees
rightAscensionOfAscendingNode = 0; % degrees
argumentOfPeriapsis = 0;           % degrees
trueAnomaly = 0;                   % degrees

Add the geosynchronous satellite to the scenario. 

sat = satellite(sc,semiMajorAxis,eccentricity,inclination,rightAscensionOfAscendingNode,...
        argumentOfPeriapsis,trueAnomaly,"OrbitPropagator","two-body-keplerian","Name","GEO Sat");

Visualize the scenario using the Satellite Scenario Viewer.

v = satelliteScenarioViewer(sc);

Add a ground track of the satellite to the visualization and adjust how much of the future and history of the ground track to display.

leadTime = 2*24*3600;                                          % seconds
trailTime = leadTime;
gt = groundTrack(sat,"LeadTime",leadTime,"TrailTime",trailTime)
gt = 
  GroundTrack with properties:

          LeadTime: 172800
         TrailTime: 172800
         LineWidth: 1
     LeadLineColor: [1 1 0.0670]
    TrailLineColor: [1 1 0.0670]
    VisibilityMode: 'inherit'

Visualize the satellite movement and its trace on the ground. The satellite covers the area around Japan during one half of the day and Australia during the other half.

play(sc);

Input Arguments

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Satellite, specified as a row vector of Satellite objects.

Platform, specified as a row vector of Platform objects.

Moon, specified as a scalarAero.satellitescenario.CentralBodyOptions (Aerospace Toolbox) object whose CentralBody (Aerospace Toolbox) property equals "Moon".

Name-Value Arguments

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Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.

Example: LeadTime=3600 sets the lead time of the ground track to 3600 seconds upon creation.

Satellite scenario viewer, specified as a scalar, vector, or array of satelliteScenarioViewer objects. If the AutoSimulate property of the scenario is false, adding a satellite to the scenario disables any previously available timeline and playback widgets.

Period of the ground track to be visualized in the Satellite Scenario Viewer, specified as a nonnegative scalar, in seconds.

The default value is for platforms and satellites whose OrbitPropagator is set to 'ephemeris':

  • Satellite scenario StartTime to StopTime for platforms and satellites whose OrbitPropagator is set to 'ephemeris'

  • For satellites in a parabolic or hyperbolic orbit and whose OrbitPropagator is set to 'two-body-keplerian' or 'numerical', the default LeadTime is the duration from the satellite scenario StartTime to the time when the satellite reaches 145 times the equatorial radius of the central body.

  • One orbital period, in all other cases.

In any case, ground tracks are not drawn on the Moon.

For splatforms with CentralBody set to "Moon", ground track visualization is not supported. The TrailTime property is accepted but has no visual effect.

Period of the ground track history to be visualized in the Satellite Scenario Viewer, specified as a positive scalar, in seconds.

The default value for platforms and satellites whose OrbitPropagator is set to 'ephemeris':

  • Satellite scenario StartTime to StopTime when OrbitPropagator is set to 'ephemeris'

  • For satellites in a parabolic or hyperbolic orbit and whose OrbitPropagator is set to 'two-body-keplerian' or 'numerical', the default TrailTime is the duration from the satellite scenario StartTime to the time when the satellite reaches 145 times the equatorial radius of the central body.

  • One orbital period, in all other cases.

In any case, ground tracks are not drawn on the Moon.

For satellites or platforms with CentralBody set to "Moon", ground track visualization is not supported in R2026b. The TrailTime property is accepted but has no visual effect.

Visual width of the ground track in pixels, specified as 'LineWidth' and a scalar in the range (0 10].

The line width cannot be thinner than the width of a pixel. If you set the line width to a value that is less than the width of a pixel on your system, the line displays as one pixel wide.

Color of the future ground track line, specified as 'LeadLineColor' and an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short name.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

  • An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1], for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

  • A hexadecimal color code is a string scalar or character vector that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Therefore, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and the hexadecimal color codes.

Color NameShort NameRGB TripletHexadecimal Color CodeAppearance
"red" "r" [1 0 0] "#FF0000"

Sample of the color red

"green" "g" [0 1 0] "#00FF00"

Sample of the color green

"blue" "b" [0 0 1] "#0000FF"

Sample of the color blue

"cyan" "c" [0 1 1] "#00FFFF"

Sample of the color cyan

"magenta" "m" [1 0 1] "#FF00FF"

Sample of the color magenta

"yellow" "y" [1 1 0] "#FFFF00"

Sample of the color yellow

"black" "k" [0 0 0] "#000000"

Sample of the color black

"white" "w" [1 1 1] "#FFFFFF"

Sample of the color white

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB® uses in many types of plots.

RGB TripletHexadecimal Color CodeAppearance
[0 0.4470 0.7410] "#0072BD"

Sample of RGB triplet [0 0.4470 0.7410], which appears as dark blue

[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980] "#D95319"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980], which appears as dark orange

[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250] "#EDB120"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.9290 0.6940 0.1250], which appears as dark yellow

[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560] "#7E2F8E"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.4940 0.1840 0.5560], which appears as dark purple

[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880] "#77AC30"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.4660 0.6740 0.1880], which appears as medium green

[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330] "#4DBEEE"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.3010 0.7450 0.9330], which appears as light blue

[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840] "#A2142F"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.6350 0.0780 0.1840], which appears as dark red

Example: 'blue'

Example: [0 0 1]

Example: '#0000FF'

Color of the ground track line history, specified as 'TrailLineColor' and an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short name.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

  • An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1], for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

  • A hexadecimal color code is a string scalar or character vector that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Therefore, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and the hexadecimal color codes.

Color NameShort NameRGB TripletHexadecimal Color CodeAppearance
"red" "r" [1 0 0] "#FF0000"

Sample of the color red

"green" "g" [0 1 0] "#00FF00"

Sample of the color green

"blue" "b" [0 0 1] "#0000FF"

Sample of the color blue

"cyan" "c" [0 1 1] "#00FFFF"

Sample of the color cyan

"magenta" "m" [1 0 1] "#FF00FF"

Sample of the color magenta

"yellow" "y" [1 1 0] "#FFFF00"

Sample of the color yellow

"black" "k" [0 0 0] "#000000"

Sample of the color black

"white" "w" [1 1 1] "#FFFFFF"

Sample of the color white

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB uses in many types of plots.

RGB TripletHexadecimal Color CodeAppearance
[0 0.4470 0.7410] "#0072BD"

Sample of RGB triplet [0 0.4470 0.7410], which appears as dark blue

[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980] "#D95319"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980], which appears as dark orange

[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250] "#EDB120"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.9290 0.6940 0.1250], which appears as dark yellow

[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560] "#7E2F8E"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.4940 0.1840 0.5560], which appears as dark purple

[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880] "#77AC30"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.4660 0.6740 0.1880], which appears as medium green

[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330] "#4DBEEE"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.3010 0.7450 0.9330], which appears as light blue

[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840] "#A2142F"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.6350 0.0780 0.1840], which appears as dark red

Example: 'blue'

Example: [0 0 1]

Example: '#0000FF'

Default Values

The default value is:

  • [1 1 0.067] for satellite and platform

  • [0.7483 0.7483 0.7483] for Moon

Limitations

  • Ground tracks are not drawn on the Moon surface in R2026b. Moon surface ground track rendering is not supported until a future release.

Version History

Introduced in R2021a

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See Also

Objects

Functions

Topics