Meteor Madness

## Problem

NASA publishes rich near-Earth object data, but raw orbital parameters mean nothing to most people. Planetary defense only gets public support when the public can see the problem.

## Solution

An interactive asteroid impact visualization and mitigation simulator in four acts: explore ~250 real near-Earth objects, design an impact scenario, watch its consequences unfold on a 3D globe, then try to save Earth with a kinetic deflection mission.

## Features

• Observatory — ~250 real NEOs from NASA's NeoWs API with 2D orbit maps and 3D heliocentric views
• Impactor Lab — design collision scenarios: velocity, diameter, density, impact location
• Impact Site — crater footprints and damage radii on a CesiumJS 3D globe
• Mission: Save Earth — kinetic deflection simulation showing how lead time changes everything
• Orbital mechanics via Keplerian elements solved with Newton-Raphson

## Tech Stack

## Challenges

• Solving Keplerian orbital mechanics accurately enough for real NEO data
• Grounding crater and seismic effects in the peer-reviewed Collins, Melosh & Marcus (2005) scaling models

## Lessons Learned

• Real physics makes a simulation credible — the scientific references are part of the product
• CesiumJS + Three.js can coexist for planetary-scale and orbital-scale rendering