MaxQ Spaceflight Toolkit

MaxQ Spaceflight Toolkit for Unreal Engine 5 is based on NASA's SPICE Toolkit. Now, the same mathematics and algorithms that power real-life scientific space missions are available in Unreal Engine. The toolkit empowers users to create authentic spaceflight visualizations or cutting edge space-based gameplay, no programming or astronautical engineering degree required. The toolkit solves challenging space flight problems in a real-time visualization environment - opening up new opportunities across an exciting spectrum of applications. Although there is a learning curve there are numerous samples and much documentation online. Once the learning curve is mastered the user has access to the same functionality NASA/JPL's spaceflight professionals use for real-life science and space missions.

MaxQ features equivalent C++ and Unreal Engine Blueprints APIs, with 1:1 feature parity.

MaxQ is powered by the SPICE Toolkit software released by NASA/JPL/NAIF, which is the industry standard Space Flight toolset for space flight planning and analysis. This toolkit is used by JPL and other organizations to plan and analyze real-life space missions and operations.

All original API names have been preserved. This allows users to find documentation and examples based on the original SPICE library, which has been continually improved since 1982.

This Plugin solves Astro/Celestial/Orbital math problems. It is not a graphics toolkit. It can solve problems such as:

• What is the trajectory of planet (or natural satellite, asteroid, comet, etc)?
• What is a planet's position, velocity, rotation, and angular velocity at a given time?
• What direction is object A from object B?
• What is the time of closest approach of object A to object B?
• What times will object A eclipse object B?
• Where is a given satellite or space probe now?
• What was space probe A's camera directly looking at? What is the longitude & latitude of planet B it's camera faced?
• Given a state vector, what are the object's orbital elements? (or vice versa?)
• What are the dimensions (or mass, or ring radius, etc) of planet A?
• Many other spaceflight mathematics, operations, and relationships between variables.

MaxQ works with standard "SPICE" kernel datasets available from NASA/JPL for real world objects. Alternatively, you can create your own solar system & bodies, etc... And even load your data into utilities developed by NASA or other SPICE toolkit powered applications.

The plugin is also instrumental for developing spaceflight games and vehicles utilizing Unreal Engine Physics for thrust/torque/collisions/landing on planet surfaces. It can power cinematics with real-world or authored datasets.

01 - Initialization, loading data Kernels, and retrieving celestial data.

02 - Time, time conversion/manipulation, spacecraft clock data

03 - Positions and state, placing Unreal Engine actors in correct locations.

04 - Orientations and angular velocities, including actor placement.

05 - Kepler Orbits and "Two-Line Element" Telemetry, obtaining spacecraft positions & orbits including telemetry download via http

06 - Authoring new datasets (TRAPPIST-1 system)

Near future Samples

07 - Creating static meshes from DSK Kernels

08 - Combining MaxQ and Unreal Engine physics to fly vehicles in real time.

& More.

All samples are provided with 1:1 equivalence in both C++ and Blueprints.

All plugin code and content gives full permission for redistribution (including commercial uses).