Find the pass. Plan the contact.
A satellite can only talk to a ground station while it is above the horizon. That window is short, and it does not happen on demand. Your team will work out when the next window opens, plan what to do with it, and stay honest about the difference between being in view and actually getting the data.
When can a ground station see the satellite — and does seeing it mean you got the data?
Learning outcomes · Grade 7
What you should be able to do, and the evidence that shows it.
- 01By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to predict whether a short observation window will contain a modelled pass and give a reason, and demonstrate this by recording that prediction before the Twin is run.
- 02By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to compare a short and an extended observation window over the same orbit and interpret the change in pass evidence, and demonstrate this by citing the window comparison.
- 03By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to recommend when a ground team should prepare for a modelled contact opportunity, and demonstrate this by tying the recommendation to the visible pass evidence.
- 01By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to apply the evidence ladder to place a planning claim on the correct rung, and demonstrate this by naming the rung the mission evidence reaches.
- 02By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to explain the difference between being tracked, receiving a signal and decoding data, and demonstrate this by ordering the three and stating which the mission establishes.
- 03By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to recommend a next contact-planning action that does not overstate the evidence, and demonstrate this by pairing the action with the claim it is allowed to make.
Before we start
A quick check of what you already know. There is no score.
The idea behind the mission
The satellite keeps moving. A ground station can only reach it while it is above the horizon, so contact is a window that opens and closes, not a switch you flip.
In view is not the same as in contact
Knowing when a satellite passes overhead tells you when to try. It does not tell you that the radio link worked, or that the data arrived and could be read. Those are three separate things, and each needs its own evidence.
Predict before you run
Before you run anything: in a two-hour window, do you think the satellite will come into view at all? Say why.
Will the satellite come into view during the short window? Say what you expect and why.
At least 20 characters — say what you expect and why.
Configure the mission
These are the two set-ups you will compare. They are fixed on purpose: if only one thing differs between your runs, anything that changes was caused by it.
Baseline case
Short window (2 h)
Candidate case
Extended window (4 h)
- Write your prediction first.
- Run the short window before the long one — a window with no pass is a real result worth seeing.
- Nothing here shows a radio signal being received or data being read. Do not claim either.
Units stay attached to every result: angles in degrees (°), time in seconds (s), power in watts (W), energy in watt-hours (Wh), battery state in percent (%), and elevation in degrees (°) where available.
Run the Digital Twin
Run the short window first. If nothing appears, that is a real result — then run the longer window and see what changes.
Baseline
Short window (2 h)
Candidate
Extended window (4 h)
Run the baseline first so you have something to compare against.
Read the evidence
Compare the two windows. What appeared, when, and how high above the horizon did it get?
Run the Twin to produce evidence.
Make the engineering decision
What is the sensible next step for your contact plan, based only on what you can see in the evidence?
What is the sensible next step for your contact plan, given only what your evidence shows?
What this does not prove
What this mission shows
- My prediction
- Whether a pass appeared in each window
- My reason for the contact plan
- Why being in view is not the same as receiving data
What it does not establish
- Everything you see is calculated by a model. No radio signal was received and no data was downloaded.
- The windows shown are teaching examples. They are not a real schedule for a real satellite.
- This lesson makes no claim about radio reception or about reading mission data.
Show what you understood
Formative feedback for you and your teacher. There is no official grade.
Which statement is truthful?
What should your team do next about the contact plan, and which evidence supports that?
Name something this activity does not measure or prove.
Revisit the mission evidence
Formative · not an official grade
No formative evidence has been recorded yet.
Next: Write your prediction, run both set-ups, then pick the evidence that supports your answer.
Formative guidance only. Official grade: none. A teacher still reviews your written reasoning.