Kepler's Laws Simulator

Role

Designer/developer of an interactive 3D Kepler's Laws simulator for educational outreach.

Challenge

Orbital mechanics is hard to internalize from static diagrams. Students need real-time control over eccentricity, period relationships, and swept-area visualization.

Approach

Built a React + Three.js experience with a Kepler’s 2nd Law sandbox, a 3rd Law solar-system mode, body presets, velocity vectors, swept areas, apsides, and a live phase plot—using a custom universal Kepler solver for conic sections.

Outcomes

A hands-on 3D simulation students and outreach audiences can use to explore Kepler’s laws through play, presets, and visible geometric relationships.

Overview

An interactive 3D orbital mechanics simulator built for the Center for Planetary Observation (CPO). Learners explore Kepler’s laws through real-time simulation, presets, and hands-on controls.

Source

Repository: github.com/jordan77-lang/Kepler

Features

2nd Law sandbox: adjust semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination
3rd Law solar system mode: Mercury through Neptune and Halley’s Comet
Velocity vectors, swept areas, foci/major axis, apsides, and phase plot
Play/pause, reset, and simulation speed controls
Custom universal Kepler solver supporting elliptical, parabolic, and hyperbolic trajectories

Tech

React, Vite, React Three Fiber / Drei, Three.js, Tailwind CSS, Recharts