_ _ _ ____ | | (_) |__ _ __ ___ / ___|___ ___ _ __ ___ ___ ___ | | | | '_ \| '__/ _ \ | / _ \/ __| '_ ` _ \ / _ \/ __| | |___| | |_) | | | __/ |__| (_) \__ \ | | | | | (_) \__ \ |_____|_|_.__/|_| \___|\____\___/|___/_| |_| |_|\___/|___/
the free operating system for mission control and spacecraft
Imagine you are an operator at mission control. Out there, robotic spacecraft orbit the Earth and the Moon, and the only way to reach them is an ansible link to their onboard Linux. No joystick, no cockpit - you fly them with commands:
operator@mc> connect kestrel # open the ansible link to your ship
operator@kestrel> target tsiolkovsky # the station you are flying to
operator@kestrel> nav transfer tsiolkovsky # plan the burn that gets you there
operator@kestrel> alarm ap # wake me up at the highest point
operator@kestrel> burn prograde 5.65 # fire the main engine
operator@kestrel> systemctl enable --now scanner # power up the surface scanner
operator@kestrel> cat /data/scan-moon.txt # read what it found
operator@kestrel> at pe -30s burn retrograde 412 # schedule a burn for later
Real orbital mechanics, a ship made of modules that run as services, files, jobs, alarms and mail - and missions that take you from a parking orbit to the Moon and beyond.
Don't wait - your first mission is ready for launch
>_ terminalThe classic ansible terminal: keyboard only, braille map, RCS mode. For those at home in a shell.
◎ graphicalWireframe map, status panels and tool buttons that type the commands for you. Best for a first flight.
Both versions share the same operators and campaigns, saved in this browser.
Switch any time with ui gui or ui tui.
How to start
- Create your operator:
useradd <your name>, then name your first ship (or press Enter for Kestrel). - Open the link to it:
connect kestrel. The briefing of your first mission appears. - Follow the hints: each step suggests the next command and says why. Press F4 (or click
a
$line in the graphical version) to put it on the command line, then Enter. - Lost?
hintrepeats the current step,missionshows the objectives,helplists the commands andman startexplains the game. Tab completes, F1 lists the keys. - Time is yours:
time x100speeds it up, alarms and events bring it back.savebefore a tricky maneuver,restoreif it goes wrong.