3-D Asteroid Viewer

INSTITUTION

Arizona State University – Tempe

CLASS

Nickel Class (2020 – 2021)

STUDENT TEAM

Ryan Cluff
Alexandra Hollingsworth
Roger Lathrop
Jacob Lepoff
Luis Ramirez-Zamacona

ACADEMIC GUIDANCE

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In preparation for arrival at the Psyche asteroid, one of the Psyche science team members based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposed a project to create a web browser-based application with the ability to rotate and zoom on an arbitrary-shaped body (in other words, something like an asteroid, which is not necessarily round like a planet) in a normal web browser and to indicate all the places on the model where space-based data have been collected. Although we do not yet have data for Psyche, there is ample data, including shape models, for other main belt asteroids, which can be used in developing the viewer. The capstone team must work with previous teams’ contributions to this project and help create a finalized product. The JPL scientist will provide additional guidance on this project once the team is assigned.