Telemetry, Evidence & Operations
Telemetry Dashboard Basics
Learn to read a live telemetry dashboard and identify what each channel tells you about the satellite.
- Time estimate
- 20–25 min
- Complexity
- introductory
- Maturity
- pilot ready
- Simulator readiness
- implemented
- Software available now
- Available now in one-axis simulator — live charts + mission-context fields during runs; export/replay surfaces for evidence.
Student path
- Select a packet preset (ADCS, EPS, or Comms housekeeping).
- With units shown, click each field to read its name, unit, value, and why it matters.
- Toggle units off — notice how the numbers become uninterpretable.
- Answer: which field would be most dangerous to misread without a unit?
- Copy your evidence below before moving to Session 2.
Learning outcomes
Student can identify at least four telemetry channels and explain what each one measures.
- Name the five core channels in the ADCS telemetry stream.
- Explain what a 'converging error' looks like in the chart.
- State what channel indicates when the battery is charging vs discharging.
Concept primer
Learn to read a live telemetry dashboard and identify what each channel tells you about the satellite.
Run a live simulation; observe target angle, actual angle, error, wheel speed, and battery channels.
Draw a dashboard sketch with five channels labelled and their units.
Interactive lab
Teaching-grade software activity slot — not a flight simulator or certified propagator.
Telemetry stream lab
Decode a telemetry packet
Select a packet type and toggle unit labels to see what happens when units are hidden. Then click any field to read its meaning and why it matters.
Attitude and control subsystem fields downlinked every 1 second during operations.
Teaching note
Every field in a telemetry packet has three parts: a name (what it measures), value (the reading), and a unit (the scale). Without the unit, the number is ambiguous. Without the timestamp, you cannot tell if the reading is current or stale.
Teaching-grade model — not real satellite telemetry, not a ground-station command interface.
Self-check · Local only
3 questions — 0/3 answered correctly
Local-only. No submission, no grade. Answers revealed here only.
Why must every telemetry field carry a unit label?
What does a timestamp in a telemetry packet primarily tell you?
Which channel would you check first to know if the spacecraft is pointing correctly?
Evidence · Local only
Capture your evidence
Local-only — no submission, no upload. Copy the text below or screenshot this panel to share manually.
Evidence prompts
- Which packet preset did you inspect, and how many fields does it contain?
- Name one field where the unit is essential to safe interpretation.
- What would happen if the timestamp field were missing from every packet?
Captured values
- Packet type
- See your selection above
- Units shown
- Toggle to compare labeled vs unlabeled
- Key insight
- A number without a unit cannot be safely interpreted
Track 6 — Telemetry / Evidence Activity: telemetry_dashboard_basics Captured: 2026-05-16T07:38:33.403Z --- Packet type: See your selection above Units shown: Toggle to compare labeled vs unlabeled Key insight: A number without a unit cannot be safely interpreted --- Teaching-grade evidence. Local-only — no account, no submission, no official grade.
Evidence capture
Expected outputs learners should be able to show after the lab (Phase 9 evidence engine preview available).
- Screenshot or description of five channels with correct meaning
- Student identifies converging error visually
Reflection
Open the telemetry dashboard; name five channels and write a one-sentence meaning for each.
Responses are not persisted in this preview unless a specific activity component adds storage later.
Assessment / quick check
Which channel would you watch first to know if pointing is improving, and why?
Teacher notes
Pair with vocabulary wall: angle, error, rate, wheel, power indicators.
Teacher use
Anchor on measurement = number + unit + timestamp. Toggle units off mid-class and ask: "Would you command the spacecraft based on this display?" Use the EPS packet to connect to Track 3 power budget thinking and the Comms packet to link back to Track 4 contact windows.
Next activity
Suggested progression from the mission learning path. Links avoid missing activity routes.