Product Overview¶
Astraeus is a generic, modular constellation engineering and trade-study platform. It is designed to answer three related questions:
- What does this constellation design do?
- How do candidate designs or operating choices compare?
- What evidence explains and supports that conclusion?
It does this through versioned structured inputs, repeatable execution, and self-describing result artifacts. Models can be combined into integrated studies, while the input and output contracts keep the study reviewable outside the runtime.
In this documentation, modular means that a RunSpec can compose the product's available engineering stages. Extensibility currently uses those documented RunSpec modules; a stable user plug-in interface is planned for a later release.
Product Status¶
Astraeus is currently alpha, pre-release software, suitable for controlled evaluation and engineering work within the documented validation envelope. Interfaces, behavior, evidence, and operational support may still change before the first stable production release.
The product uses the following maturity terms:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Production | Supported for stated use cases, with defined compatibility, qualification, and operational expectations |
| Preview | Available for evaluation and useful engineering work, but its interface, behavior, evidence, or operational support may still change |
| Experimental | Exploratory capability with narrower evidence and no compatibility commitment |
A CLI or RunSpec capability retains the overall alpha status unless its page explicitly gives a stronger maturity level. Model-specific documentation and scientific validation define the applicable assumptions, tolerances, and limitations.
What The Product Covers¶
Constellation behavior and geometry¶
- constellation and orbit definition
- propagation and state histories
- ground and inter-satellite geometry
- access intervals and coverage analysis
- equal-point and represented-surface aggregation
Communications, service, and transport¶
Communications is a deep product area rather than a single coverage metric. A study can combine, as applicable:
- link budgets and protocol-aware capacity
- terminals, gateways, beams, and service regions
- user demand, allocation, and delivered-service KPIs
- fixed, steered, and beam-hopping operations
- inter-satellite links, routing, and store-and-forward behavior
- comparative service and network experiments
See Communications and service, inter-satellite links, and the transport model pages for the exact implemented modes and assumptions.
Mission and spacecraft engineering¶
- service and observation mission behavior
- observation opportunity and product delivery analysis
- attitude constraints and finite-slew effects
- activity-coupled power and propulsion outputs
Studies and campaigns¶
- one-scenario runs
- bounded parameter sweeps
- batches of independent RunSpecs
- constellation deployment and rollout campaigns
- deterministic review, comparison, and reporting from saved artifacts
Model depth varies by engineering area. The relevant user guide and reference page are authoritative for what each capability accepts and produces.
Supported User Interfaces¶
| Interface | Current role |
|---|---|
| CLI and RunSpec | Authoritative, full product execution surface. A versioned RunSpec is the primary scenario contract. |
| Local Console | Broad local run and result experience for common workflows; advanced configuration remains available through RunSpecs. |
| Run Monitor | Read-only visibility into active and completed local runs. |
| Review and report commands | Deterministic analysis of completed artifacts, directly available from the CLI. |
| User AI skills | First-class optional assistance for authoring, execution, interpretation, plotting, and reporting; simulation logic and results remain deterministic product behavior. |
| Packaged resources | Curated examples and supporting engineering data that can be listed or copied locally. |
The compatibility commitment covers the CLI, RunSpec, and documented artifacts. Internal Python imports remain implementation details unless an API is explicitly documented as a supported product interface.
Primary Workflows¶
All supported workflows are artifact-first:
| Workflow | Use it for | Primary command |
|---|---|---|
| Run | One constellation scenario over time | astraeus run |
| Sweep | Bounded variants derived from one base RunSpec | astraeus sweep |
| Batch | An explicit collection of independent RunSpecs | astraeus batch |
| Campaign | Deployment and rollout planning | astraeus campaign-plan |
Campaign planning is the supported user-facing planning surface. The standalone
mission-planning command remains an internal development capability. A RunSpec
mission stage defines service or observation behavior inside a simulation.
Delivery And Operating Model¶
Astraeus is designed for user-controlled local execution. The current packaged delivery targets are:
- Linux x86-64 with CPython 3.11
- Windows x86-64 with CPython 3.11
The standard delivery is a source-free, target-specific product bundle containing the Astraeus wheel, locked runtime dependencies, curated examples, supporting resources, and user AI skills. Offline installation is the baseline; online acquisition can deliver the same verified bundle.
The current operating model is local and single-user. Qualification applies to specific product versions and platform targets.
Intended Use And Boundaries¶
Astraeus is intended for engineering decision support and traceable trade studies. Its supported product scope centers on deterministic constellation simulation, comparative studies, deployment campaigns, and reviewable evidence. Operational flight control, certification, packet-level network emulation, automated constellation optimization, hosted collaboration, user plug-ins, and standalone mission planning require separate tools or future product surfaces.
Core Terminology¶
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| RunSpec | Versioned YAML or JSON contract describing a simulation and its requested stages |
| Run | One validated RunSpec execution and its self-contained artifact directory |
| Stage | A composable engineering calculation requested by a RunSpec |
| Artifact | A persisted input snapshot, state, result, metric, log, or manifest produced for review |
| Sweep | A bounded set of variants expanded from one base RunSpec |
| Batch | A grouped execution of explicit, otherwise independent RunSpecs |
| Campaign | A deployment or rollout planning request and its result |
| Console | The local graphical surface for launching common workflows and inspecting results |
| Run Monitor | The read-only local service for run state and progress |
| Review / report | Deterministic commands that interpret completed artifacts |
| AI skill | Optional assistant guidance for working with documented Astraeus contracts and artifacts |
Where To Go Next¶
- Install Astraeus.
- Complete a first core run or first campaign run.
- Select a richer example.
- Use the RunSpec guide, model pages, and reference as the authoritative technical detail.
- Consult scientific validation before relying on a result outside its stated evidence envelope.