moltbot-satellite-copilot_skill

Overview

This skill predicts and alerts on satellite passes (NOAA APT, METEOR LRPT, ISS) for a configured latitude/longitude and sends WhatsApp alerts with manual dish alignment details. It is designed as a zero-AI pass scheduler/orchestrator for SDR reception and supports optional remote capture/decode hooks for Raspberry Pi or Jetson setups. Configure NORAD IDs, minimum elevation, alert lead time, and remote commands to integrate into an SDR pipeline.

How this skill works

The orchestrator computes upcoming passes for configured satellites and a ground station location, then formats alerts that include AOS/LOS azimuth and elevation, pass start/max/end times, track direction, and orbit inclination. Alerts are delivered over WhatsApp (configurable) and can trigger optional remote capture or decode commands on a Pi/Jetson node. The system is intended to run periodically (cron recommended) and is zero-AI by default; capture hooks remain disabled until you supply command strings for remote execution.

When to use it

• Planning and scheduling SDR captures of NOAA APT, METEOR LRPT, or ISS telemetry.
• Operating a manual dish or antenna where you need AOS/LOS azimuth and elevation for alignment.
• Automating alerts for a ground station with minimum elevation and lead-time constraints.
• Integrating a headless Pi or Jetson as a remote capture/decoder triggered at pass time.
• Running a lightweight, deterministic pass scheduler without cloud or AI dependencies.

Best practices

• Configure your exact latitude/longitude and timezone to ensure accurate AOS/LOS times and az/el values.
• Set a conservative minimum elevation to avoid weak-signal captures and to minimize false triggers.
• Test WhatsApp alert delivery with a single test pass before enabling automated remote captures.
• Secure your configuration file (chmod 600) and limit remote command access to trusted devices.
• Run the orchestrator every 3–10 minutes via cron to ensure timely alerts without heavy resource use.

Example use cases

• Receive a WhatsApp alert 5 minutes before a NOAA APT pass with AOS az/el and manual dish aiming instructions.
• Trigger an RTL-SDR capture on a remote Raspberry Pi at AOS and run SatDump on a Jetson after LOS for automated decoding.
• Archive scheduled ISS telemetry sessions with precise start/max/end timestamps and track direction for post-processing.
• Use as a deterministic scheduler in a multi-node reception farm where each node runs local capture hooks on alert.