👾 PixelOrbit - Devlog #4 (Perseverance sprite & UI improvements)

🚀 New spacecraft (kind of…)

I added perseverance in the spacecraftData.json and made a sprite for it with my pixelator.py helper program (check it out in my first devlog), however i haven’t made a provider for it yet. I will also add JWST and Voyager 1, so help me decide what data should i add for these along with perseverance.

UI polish (the good stuff)

I didn’t actually work hard on this update, but i made the frontend a bit more engaging. Ngl i have not very high css skills and i left most of the weird styling in chatgpt but the whole design is mine.

• First of all, i added a slight parallax effect that helped me move on from this static design.
• gave it some colour, since before it was like a black and white 90s photo.
• Another huge UI redesign was the navigator which now has a completely new look and now works like a real carousel.

⚠️ Debugging

I also noticed a minor bug and had the chance to fix it. well, both side arrows triggered the same function which made the UI feel broken because no matter to which side you wanted to change spacecraft, it always slid to the right.

Resources

• check it out at: PixelOrbit
• The repo: LeoTsio/PixelOrbit

👾 PixelOrbit — Devlog #3 (UI)

The Goal

PixelOrbit is a pixel-art style website that has one goal in mind: Make NASA mission data & telemetry understandable by anyone. After hours of a C++ guy trying to write javascript i finally finished the first version of the UI. have a look: PixelOrbit

Making It Real

This was the moment where the project actually started to feel real to me. Instead of random bits of code and half-working ideas, PixelOrbit now has an actual face: a proper landing view, the spacecraft front and center, a selector to switch between them, and a data panel that actually belongs there.

What it has now

• a proper landing view
• the spacecraft front and center
• a selector to switch between them
• a data panel that feels like it actually belongs there

❓QUESTION

I would love any feedback from all of you on any improvements, but most importantly what data would you like to see for JWST, voyager 1 and perseverance. Good options are the most unexpected ones who anyone can understand.

👾 PixelOrbit — Devlog #2 (Providers)

I’m building PixelOrbit, a retro pixel-art website that turns real NASA spacecraft telemetry into something anyone can understand.

This week I finished the first working version of the project.

Provider System

I built a provider system where every spacecraft has its own JavaScript file (iss.js, hubble.js, etc.) responsible for fetching and processing data.

The UI doesn’t need to know anything about the spacecraft itself—it simply asks the current provider for data and displays the result. This should make adding future spacecraft incredibly easy.

Progress

I also reorganized the entire project structure, added a testing UI, and got live telemetry working for both the ISS and Hubble.

After spending far more time fighting GitHub Pages, CORS restrictions, HTTPS issues, and random API limitations than actually coding features, I finally managed to get everything running online.

🌍 Live website: https://leotsio.github.io/PixelOrbit/

Current Spacecraft

• 🛰️ ISS — Altitude, velocity, current location
• 🔭 Hubble — Altitude, velocity, current location

❓ Question for Everyone

What data would you actually want to see for spacecraft like the ISS, Hubble, JWST, Voyager 1, or Perseverance?

I’m trying to focus on the stats that are genuinely fascinating rather than just technically available.

👾 PixelOrbit - Devlog #1 (Pixelator)

I’m building PixelOrbit, a pixel-art website that transforms real NASA spacecraft telemetry into interactive visualizations that are easier to understand.

Today I completed the first milestone of the project: the Pixelator.

The Pixelator takes an image from either a local file or an internet URL and automatically:

• Removes the background
• Crops the main object
• Converts it into pixel art
• Exports a transparent PNG

The image below shows the first successful conversion of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Most of today’s work was spent debugging dependencies and getting the background-removal pipeline running on my 11-year-old MacBook Air, but the first version is now working and ready for the next stage of the project 🚀