Satellite Scenario around other planets

Is there any way for the satellie scenario and scenario viewer tools to view trajectories/orbits around other planets? If so, how?

I've seen orbits only around earth and the moon visualized in the scenario viewer (In this example), but no other celestial bodies.

Thank you!

[Umar]

Hi @Keaton, Have you made any progress or still have any questions or clarification required, please feel free to reach out

Answer 1

[Keaton]

@Umar,

Thank you so much! I've looked at the documentation and release notes, but I do not really understand the satellie scenario. Here's what I could come up with using my very basic understanding of MATLAB:

clc; clear;

% Define Mars as the central body
centralBodyOpts = Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions(CentralBody="Mars");

% Set up numerical propagator with Mars
numericalPropOpts = Aero.spacecraft.NumericalPropagatorOptions( ...
  CentralBodyOptions=centralBodyOpts, ...
  GravitationalPotentialModel="point-mass");

%Time (Start: 1/1/2000  End: 1/2/2000)
startTime = datetime(2000,1,01,12,0,0);
stopTime = startTime + days(1);
sampleTime = 60;

% Create time vector
time = startTime : seconds(sampleTime) : stopTime;

%Propogator
[positions, velocities] = propagateOrbit( ...
  time, 4000000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, ... % 4,000,000m semi-major axis, all other orbital parameters are zero (circular equatorial)
  PropModel="numerical", ...
  NumericalPropagatorOptions=numericalPropOpts);

sc = satelliteScenario(startTime, stopTime, sampleTime, ...
    centralBodyOpts, numericalPropOpts);

play(sc);

I am trying to visualize a spacecraft in a circular equatorial orbit around mars with a semi-major axis of 4,000,000m.

Any advice or corrections would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!

[Umar]

Hi @Keaton,

I've reviewed your code and the MathWorks documentation. You're very close, but there are two issues:

Issue #1: You're passing centralBodyOpts and numericalPropOpts directly to satelliteScenario(), but according to the satelliteScenario Documentation

it only accepts startTime, stopTime, and sampleTime as arguments.

Issue #2: You're missing the actual satellite addition! You called propagateOrbit but never added the satellite to your scenario using the satellite() function. Here's your code corrected:

clc; clear;

% Define Mars as the central body
centralBodyOpts = 
Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions(CentralBody="Mars");

% Set up numerical propagator with Mars
numericalPropOpts = Aero.spacecraft.NumericalPropagatorOptions(   ...CentralBodyOptions=centralBodyOpts, ...
  GravitationalPotentialModel="point-mass");

% Time setup
startTime = datetime(2000,1,01,12,0,0);
stopTime = startTime + days(1);
sampleTime = 60;
time = startTime : seconds(sampleTime) : stopTime;

% Propagate orbit around Mars
[positions, velocities] = propagateOrbit( ...
  time, 4000000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, ...
  PropModel="numerical", ...
  NumericalPropagatorOptions=numericalPropOpts);

% Create timetables
positionTT = timetable(time', positions');
velocityTT = timetable(time', velocities');

% Create scenario (correct syntax - no central body options here)
sc = satelliteScenario(startTime, stopTime, sampleTime);

% THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE MISSING - Add the satellite!
sat = satellite(sc, positionTT, velocityTT, ...
  'CoordinateFrame', 'inertial', ...
  'Name', 'Mars Orbiter');

% Set Mars as central body (CentralBodyOptions is read-only, use     this function)
centralBodyOptions(sc, CentralBody="Mars");

% Visualize
viewer = satelliteScenarioViewer(sc);
play(sc);

So, the key changes made are: Removed centralBodyOpts and numericalPropOpts from satelliteScenario() constructor. Added the satellite() function call to actually add your satellite to the scenario. Used centralBodyOptions() function to set Mars as the central body (the property is read-only per the < docs >

This should now visualize your Mars orbiter correctly!

[Keaton]

Hi @Umar,

Thank you again for the help! I ran the corrected code in MATLAB R2025b, but I am getting an error:

clc; clear;
% Define Mars as the central body
centralBodyOpts = Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions(CentralBody="Mars");
% Set up numerical propagator with Mars
numericalPropOpts = Aero.spacecraft.NumericalPropagatorOptions(   ...CentralBodyOptions=centralBodyOpts, ...
  GravitationalPotentialModel="point-mass");
% Time setup
startTime = datetime(2000,1,01,12,0,0);
stopTime = startTime + days(1);
sampleTime = 60;
time = startTime : seconds(sampleTime) : stopTime;
% Propagate orbit around Mars
[positions, velocities] = propagateOrbit( ...
  time, 40000000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, ... %Added a zero to semi-major axis
  PropModel="numerical", ...
  NumericalPropagatorOptions=numericalPropOpts);
% Create timetables
positionTT = timetable(time', positions');
velocityTT = timetable(time', velocities');
% Create scenario (correct syntax - no central body options here)
sc = satelliteScenario(startTime, stopTime, sampleTime);
% THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE MISSING - Add the satellite!
sat = satellite(sc, positionTT, velocityTT, ...
  'CoordinateFrame', 'inertial', ...
  'Name', 'Mars Orbiter');
% Set Mars as central body (CentralBodyOptions is read-only, use     this function)
centralBodyOptions(sc, CentralBody="Mars"); %ERROR caused by THIS line
% Visualize
viewer = satelliteScenarioViewer(sc);
play(sc);

I added a zero to the semi-major axis value because I was getting an error that the spacecraft "intersects with the Earth's surface". After doing that, running the code gives me an error. This is what it says:

Error using satelliteScenario/centralBodyOptions
 centralBodyOptions(sc, CentralBody="Mars");
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Invalid argument name 'CentralBody'. Name must be 'UseEarthOrientationParameters' or 'EarthOrientationParameterFile'.

Error in MarsDynamicsSatScenario (line 27)
centralBodyOptions(sc, CentralBody="Mars");
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The scenario works if I remove this line, but renders the spacecraft in orbit around the Earth. From what I understand, the satellite scenario's "centralBodyOptions()" function is not meant to change the central body, but to change whether or not the scenario uses Earth Orientation Parameters, and where the Orientation Data file is located.

I think we can propogate orbits around other planets just fine, but might not yet have the capability in the satellite scenario and satellite scenario viewer tools to visualize them.

Let me know if you need me to upload anything else to help troubleshoot this.

Thank you again for your time and patience!

[Umar]

Hi @Keaton, Could you please upload screenshot of your code with errors,I will highly appreciate it.

[Keaton]

[Umar]

Hi @Keaton,

Sorry it took so long. Firstly, thank you you for your thorough testing and for sharing your findings. After carefully reviewing your comments and examining the official MATLAB R2025b documentation, I can confirm that your analysis is entirely correct.

You've identified the core issue precisely. When you attempted to use `centralBodyOptions(sc, CentralBody="Mars")`, MATLAB returned an error stating that the only valid argument names are 'UseEarthOrientationParameters' or 'EarthOrientationParameterFile'. This tells us exactly what the `centralBodyOptions()` function actually does - it manages Earth Orientation Parameters for the scenario, not the central body itself. My suggestion earlier while well-intentioned, was based on a misunderstanding of this function's purpose.

So, looking at the official documentation carefully, what I missed was the `CentralBodyOptions` property of the `satelliteScenario` object which is explicitly marked as "Read-only". This means that once a satellite scenario is created, you cannot modify which celestial body sits at its center. The property exists, but it cannot be changed after instantiation, and there is no constructor parameter available to set it to Mars during creation.

Your observation about the " intersects with the Earth's surface" error is particularly telling. When you increased the semi-major axis from 4,000,000 meters to 40,000,000 meters, you eliminated that error because you moved the orbit far enough from Earth's surface. However, the visualization still rendered the spacecraft orbiting Earth, not Mars. This confirms that while your `propagateOrbit()` function is correctly computing the orbital mechanics around Mars using the `Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions` class, the `satelliteScenario` and `satelliteScenarioViewer` tools remain fundamentally Earth-centric.

The coordinate system used by these visualization tools is based on Earth-centered reference frames - GCRF (Geocentric Celestial Reference Frame), ITRF (International Terrestrial Reference Frame), and ECEF (Earth-Centered Earth-Fixed). The entire architecture assumes Earth is at the origin. There is no mechanism in R2025b to shift this origin to Mars or any other planetary body.

Your conclusion that " we can propagate orbits around other planets just fine, but might not yet have the capability in the satellite scenario and satellite scenario viewer tools to visualize them" is absolutely accurate. The Aerospace Toolbox has robust support for multi-body orbital mechanics through `propagateOrbit()` and related functions, but the 3D visualization infrastructure has not yet been extended to support non-Earth central bodies.

I've reviewed the R2025b release notes and searched through the available documentation, and there is no indication of when this feature might be added to future releases. MathWorks has not published a roadmap item for multi-body visualization support in `satelliteScenario`.

My recommendation would be to file an enhancement request with MathWorks Technical Support. Given that the underlying propagation mathematics already supports multiple central bodies, extending the visualization system would be a logical next step. In the meantime, your Mars orbit data from `propagateOrbit()` is valid and accurate - you simply need to use alternative visualization methods if you require 3D representation of the trajectory.

You don't need to upload anything else. Your code is correct, your analysis is sound, and you've discovered a genuine limitation in the current version of the toolbox. This isn't a problem with your implementation; it's a feature that hasn't been implemented yet in the visualization components.

Well done on the systematic debugging and for reading the error messages carefully. That's exactly the right approach to identifying where the actual limitations lie.

Answer 2

[Umar]

Hi @Keaton,

Yeah, actually you can visualize orbits around other planets now! It's a newer feature so that's probably why you haven't seen many examples floating around yet. MathWorks added support for non-Earth central bodies starting with R2024b and expanded it in R2025a.

Basically, you need to use the Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions class to specify which planet you want. The supported bodies are Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The way you do it is by creating a central body options object and passing it to your propagator.Here's a quick example of how you'd set up a Mars orbit:

% Define Mars as the central body
centralBodyOpts = Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions(CentralBody="Mars");

% Set up your numerical propagator with Mars
numericalPropOpts = Aero.spacecraft.NumericalPropagatorOptions( ...
  CentralBodyOptions=centralBodyOpts, ...
  GravitationalPotentialModel="point-mass");

% Then propagate your orbit
[positions, velocities] = propagateOrbit( ...
  time, rEpoch, vEpoch, ...
  PropModel="numerical", ...
  CentralBodyOptions=centralBodyOpts, ...
  NumericalPropagatorOptions=numericalPropOpts);

For the satelliteScenario object itself, there's a CentralBodyOptions property that you can configure to use planets other than Earth. The scenario viewer should render the planet you select, though it might not be as detailed as the Earth rendering.

One thing to watch out for - if you're using TLE data or the SGP4/SDP4 propagators, those only work with Earth as the central body. For other planets you'll need to stick with numerical propagation or two-body Keplerian models.

Also worth noting that spherical harmonics gravity models (the more accurate ones) are currently only available for Earth, Moon, Mars, and custom bodies. For the other planets you'll be using point-mass or oblate ellipsoid (J2) models.

If you're working in Simulink, the Spacecraft Dynamics block also supports all these central bodies now, which is pretty handy.

You might want to check out the propagateOrbit documentation on the MathWorks site - they updated it recently with info about the CentralBodyOptions parameter. The release notes for R2024b and R2025a also have some details about these new capabilities.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you run into any issues setting it up.

References:

 *MathWorks Documentation: propagateOrbit function  <https://www.mathworks.com/help/aerotbx/ug/propagateorbit.html>

 *Aero.spacecraft.CentralBodyOptions class documentation

 *R2024b/R2025a Release Notes for Aerospace Toolbox