Quick Start Guide

For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt.

VALAR is a spacecraft mission planning and operations platform for orbit tracking, maneuver planning, conjunction analysis, and ephemeris generation.

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Critical First Steps (5 minutes)

After logging in, you’ll land on the Orbit Tracking page, but it will be empty. Here’s what you need to do to unlock all functionality:

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Step 1: Create Your First Spacecraft

How to create a spacecraft:

1. Pick your environment first. VALAR organises data per environment — Operations or Mission Analysis — selected with the environment switcher in the left sidebar. Every spacecraft is created inside the currently selected environment.
2. Navigate to /spacecraft and click New Spacecraft in the top-bar (an empty workspace shows Add New Spacecraft in its place)
3. Fill in every field marked with an asterisk:
   • Identifiers: search by name, NORAD or COSPAR and select the matching catalogue entry, or choose This spacecraft is not yet catalogued. Enter a Name for your workspace (for example, APOLLO-11). NORAD and COSPAR are filled from the selection and are read-only; six-digit NORAD numbers are supported through 999999.
   • Cannonball model: Launch Mass (kg), Drag area (m²), SRP area (m²), Drag coefficient (2.2 by default), Reflectivity coefficient (1.5 by default)
   • Advanced geometry: the bus dimension fields X, Y, Z (m, on the default Box shape), plus Absorption and Specular reflection (dimensionless surface-optics coefficients)
4. Optionally add Dry Mass (kg) and a Colour.
5. Click Create Spacecraft

Result: The spacecraft appears in the global filter dropdown, and you land on its detail page to continue configuration.

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Step 2: Import Initial State Vector

How to import a state vector:

1. Navigate to /state-vectors
2. Click Import button
3. Upload an OPM (Orbit Parameter Message) file
4. Confirm import

Result: Unlocks orbit propagation, ephemeris generation, and conjunction analysis.

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Main Features & Where to Find Them

Once you’ve completed Steps 1-2, here’s what you can do:

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File Imports (Unlock Additional Features)

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Import Measurements (Optional)

Location: /orbits/measurements/data → Import button File Types: TDM, OEM, SP3 What It Enables:

• Measurement visualization (Range, RA/DEC, AZ/EL, PVT plots)
• Orbit Determination (OD) processing
• Improved state vector accuracy

Process:

1. Click Import on measurements page
2. Drag-and-drop or browse for file
3. Data appears in measurement plots automatically

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Import Burn Plans (Optional)

Location: /maneuvers/burn-plan → Import button What It Enables:

• Maneuver sequence execution
• Fuel consumption tracking

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What Blocks Features?

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Quick Setup Checklist

For a fully functional workspace, complete these in order:

• Select your environment (Operations or Mission Analysis) with the environment switcher in the left sidebar
• Create spacecraft (every asterisk-marked field) → /spacecraft/new
• Import state vector (OPM file) → /state-vectors
• (Optional) Import measurements → /orbits/measurements/data
• (Optional) Configure thrusters → spacecraft detail page

Total time: 5 minutes

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Pro Tips

• Global Spacecraft Filter: Use the dropdown at the top to switch between spacecraft - selection persists across pages
• Bulk Operations: Select multiple state vectors for batch export
• 3D Spacecraft Preview: Updates in real-time as you edit dimensions
• Empty States: All pages show helpful empty states with clear next actions when data is missing
• Date Range Filters: Most pages let you filter by time range (presets: Today, Week, Month, Custom)

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Minimum Viable Setup

To unlock all core features in under 5 minutes:

1. Create 1 spacecraft with basic info
2. Import 1 state vector (OPM file)

That’s it! You can now:

• Generate ephemerides
• View orbit tracking
• Run conjunction analysis
• Start planning maneuvers

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Common Questions

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