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 6
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 describe what a ground track shows about where a spacecraft travels over the Earth, and demonstrate this by pointing to the modelled path on the mission map.
- 02By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to explain why a spacecraft is only in view of a ground station for part of its journey, and demonstrate this by writing a prediction about the chosen observation window.
- 03By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to state whether the mission found a modelled pass in the selected window, and demonstrate this by reading the pass result directly from the mission evidence.
- 01By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to describe the difference between seeing a spacecraft pass overhead and receiving a message from it, and demonstrate this by stating which of the two the mission actually shows.
- 02By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to explain why a ground station and a spacecraft must be arranged for contact to be possible, and demonstrate this by describing the sender, receiver and message in the mission scenario.
- 03By the end of this mission, the learner will be able to recognise that this mission does not prove any data was received, and demonstrate this by writing one sentence about what would still need to be shown.
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
This is the set-up you will run. It is fixed on purpose, so everyone in the class is reading the same evidence.
Baseline case
Short window (2 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)
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.