Ground Station

Ground Station is an open-source, browser-based application for tracking satellites and celestial targets, controlling station hardware, and receiving, decoding, and recording SDR signals. Built for amateur radio operators, satellite enthusiasts, and researchers, it brings orbit visualization, multi-target tracking consoles, SDR waterfall analysis, packet and telemetry decoding, scheduled observations, and hardware management into a single web interface.

Recent Releases

• v0.7.17 (2026-07-16): Added east-west pass direction classification with updated pass/elevation labels, improved rotator overlap tracking for 0_450 mode with a high-lane lock, introduced custom waterfall colormap selection with better progress tracking, and refined EarthView selector behavior for very large groups.
• v0.7.16 (2026-07-09): Added pass geometry classification with extended azimuth mode support in pass/rotator flows, improved satellite transmitters table performance and column handling, and removed the legacy pass-direction column logic.
• v0.7.15 (2026-07-08): Added SDR takeover confirmation dialogs with structured conflict/session details and forced-takeover handling across frontend/backend streaming flows, and introduced satellite catalog statistics retrieval with frontend UI integration.
• v0.7.14 (2026-07-07): Optimized celestial offscreen label rendering and viewport/selection handling, improved dialog theming consistency, added a center-frequency marker line in the waterfall viewer, and introduced Redux-based Earth View navigation status overlays with corrected loading-state defaults.
• v0.7.13 (2026-07-07): Added filename sanitization utilities and integrated them into recording paths, expanded waterfall FFT size options, raised default/fallback FFT size to 16384 for improved resolution, and refined dialog footer responsiveness/consistency.
• v0.7.12 (2026-07-06): Added canvas-based waterfall rendering with optimized zoom/pan behavior, introduced snapshot-image loading indicators, and refined native max-zoom handling with simplified zoom-limit logic.
• v0.7.11 (2026-07-06): Added configurable waterfall generation with a new viewer component and stronger touch/pointer interactions, expanded celestial tracking UX with interaction controls and elevation-trend integrations, and improved recording/file metadata presentation with image dimensions and shared thumbnails.
• v0.7.10 (2026-07-05): Improved celestial module scene/caching behavior (including synthetic Sun origin handling for tracks-only payloads), added loading-state status indicators in the frontend navigation, expanded celestial translations (German/Greek), and refined monitored-grid unit formatting.
• v0.7.9 (2026-07-03): Added context menus for EarthView/celestial targets in monitored grids and passes, introduced inline actions for tracking/transmitter workflows, and improved target-key handling plus transmitter identifier management.
• v0.7.8 (2026-06-30): Isolated waterfall marker drag interactions from container pan handlers, upgraded target badges to TargetNumberIcon in fleet and popover views, and improved target popover tracking/navigation behavior to streamline jumps to tracker pages.
• v0.7.7 (2026-06-30): Improved waterfall VFO drag behavior and movement state handling, enhanced playback overlay responsiveness, added runtime scheduler metadata with clearer terminal-observation visibility, and refined target-slot badges plus EarthView satellite/transmitter editing flows.
• v0.7.6 (2026-06-28): Added SDR usage badges with cross-session utilization tracking, persisted orbital sync state with UI hydration support, improved active non-satellite tracker resync during celestial sync, and refined target layout/schema behavior.
• v0.7.5 (2026-06-28): Added versioned EarthView defaults for satellite tables, improved state reconciliation and layout schema scaling, persisted orbital-sync state with UI hydration support, and introduced SDR cross-session utilization visibility.
• v0.7.4 (2026-06-27): Added timeline scrubbing and improved IQ playback controls, refined SDR options/streaming behavior, introduced resettable table defaults with versioned migration logic for EarthView and celestial views, and added transmitter duplication support.

Screenshots

Global Satellite Overview

   

Overview page with quick group selection and real-time satellite status indicators

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Solar System View

   

Solar System page for celestial-body tracking with live orbital context and interactive visualization

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Login Screen

   

Login screen for user authentication before accessing the Ground Station interface

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Multi-Target Tracking Console

   

Multi-target tracking console view showing an active ISS target with per-target control and live tracking telemetry

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SDR Waterfall View

Waterfall view with live transcription overlay during active satellite communication

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Waterfall Packet Decoding (GMSK)

Waterfall view receiving GMSK and decoding with two VFOs

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Telemetry Packet Viewer (Hex + ASCII)

Packet viewer showing telemetry payload bytes in hex with ASCII side-by-side

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TLE Data Synchronization

TLE synchronization page showing real-time progress and satellite database updates

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SDR Hardware Management

Comprehensive SDR device management interface supporting RTL-SDR, SoapySDR, and UHD/USRP radios with remote capability

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File Browser & Decoders

File browser view showing decoded weather images, packet outputs, and saved transcriptions

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Observations Overview

Automated observations dashboard with upcoming passes and task status

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DSP Topology & Performance

Chain of threads and processes IQ samples pass through, showing performance and data flow across the DSP pipeline

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Key Features

• Real-time Orbit Tracking: Track Earth-orbiting targets using Skyfield/SGP4 propagation from stored orbital elements.
• Configurable Orbital Sources + Metadata Enrichment: Sync orbital data from configured sources (default CelesTrak feeds) and enrich satellites/transmitters from SatNOGS APIs.
• Multi-Target Tracker Instances: Run multiple tracker instances in parallel (target-N slots), each with independent runtime state.
• Automated Antenna Rotator Control: Drive connected rotators with continuous az/el updates, limit checks, and anti-thrashing retarget logic.
• Rig Control with Doppler Correction: Control compatible rigs (rigctld/Hamlib paths) with RX/TX Doppler-corrected tuning during tracking.
• SDR Hardware Support: RTL-SDR (USB/rtl_tcp), SoapySDR (local/remote), UHD/USRP, plus a virtual SigMF Playback SDR.
• Live DSP Pipeline: Stream IQ to FFT/waterfall, demodulators, decoders, recorders, and browser consumers through queue-based worker orchestration.
• IQ Recording (SigMF): Record IQ as .sigmf-data + .sigmf-meta with center frequency, sample rate, session stats, and target satellite metadata.
• SigMF Playback: Replay recorded IQ through the same processing pipeline used for live SDR operation.
• Data Decoding + Framing Protocols: Supported decoder paths include SSTV, FSK, GFSK, GMSK, BPSK, and GNSS, with AX.25/USP/GEOSCAN framing support in the packet pipelines.
• Transcription Services: Real-time demodulated-audio transcription via Gemini Live or Deepgram, with optional translation and file output under backend/data/transcriptions/.
• Scheduled Observations: APScheduler-driven AOS/LOS orchestration for automatic start/stop of tracking, SDR, decoding, recording, and transcription tasks.
• SatDump Post-Processing: Optional SatDump processing for IQ recordings, including METEOR LRPT/HRPT pipelines.
• Performance Monitoring: Live pipeline metrics (queue utilization, throughput, drops, and component health) streamed to the frontend.
• Responsive Web Interface: Material-UI + Socket.IO frontend for desktop, tablet, and mobile operation.
• Authentication + User Management: Built-in login screen with role-based access control for two user types: admins and operators.
• Interactive Solar System View: Dedicated Solar System page with live orbital context for planets and other supported bodies.
• Celestial Body + Mission Targeting: Track selected solar-system bodies and deep-space mission targets through NASA/JPL Horizons-backed vectors.

Scheduled Observations & Automated Pass Recording

Ground Station includes a comprehensive automated observation system that can schedule and execute satellite passes without user intervention:

• Monitored Satellites: Define satellite monitoring templates with hardware configurations, signal parameters, and task definitions. The system automatically generates scheduled observations for all qualifying passes.
• Automated Pass Scheduling: Automatically calculate and schedule upcoming satellite passes based on configurable criteria (minimum elevation, lookahead window). The scheduler uses APScheduler to trigger observations at AOS (Acquisition of Signal) and stop at LOS (Loss of Signal).
• Flexible Task Composition: Each observation can include multiple concurrent tasks: IQ recording (SigMF format), audio recording (WAV), protocol decoding (AFSK, GMSK, SSTV), and optional AI transcription.
• Hardware Orchestration: Automatically controls SDR devices, antenna rotators (with satellite tracking), and rigs (with Doppler correction) during scheduled observations.
• Live Observation Capability: Users can observe any automated pass in real-time through the web interface - view the spectrum waterfall, listen to demodulated audio, and watch live decoder output. When using the same SDR as an automated observation, users can monitor without interference, but be aware that changing the SDR's center frequency or bandwidth will affect the ongoing observation.
• Multi-SDR Observing: Automated observations can run on one SDR while additional SDRs record, decode, and listen to the same pass in parallel.
• Status Management: Real-time observation status tracking (scheduled, running, completed, failed, cancelled, missed) with automatic cleanup of old completed observations.
• Session Management: Automated observations run in isolated internal VFO sessions (namespace: "internal:<observation_id>"). When using different SDRs, user sessions and automated observations operate completely independently without any interference.

Architecture

The Ground Station application is composed of a frontend, a backend, and a set of worker processes.

High-Level System Architecture

flowchart TB
    %% Cache buster: v5-20251115-updated
    %% Frontend Layer
    A[Frontend: React + Redux + MUI<br/>- Real-time UI updates<br/>- State management<br/>- Interactive satellite maps<br/>- Spectrum & waterfall display<br/>- Audio playback & recording<br/>- IQ recording & playback controls<br/>- Decoder monitoring & output display]

    %% Backend Layer
    B[Backend: FastAPI + Socket.IO<br/>- WebSocket connections<br/>- Worker process management<br/>- Database operations<br/>- TLE data fetching<br/>- Recording & file management<br/>- Decoder lifecycle management]

    %% Worker Layer
    subgraph Workers["Worker Processes"]
        direction TB
        W1[Tracker Supervisor + Tracker Instances<br/>- One tracker instance per rotator<br/>- Antenna rotator control<br/>- Rig/radio control<br/>- Real-time tracking calculations<br/>- Hardware state management]
        W2[SDR IQ Acquisition<br/>- Raw IQ sample streaming<br/>- IQ Broadcaster pub/sub<br/>- Multi-consumer support]
        W2A[FFT Processor<br/>- Spectrum computation<br/>- Waterfall generation<br/>- Real-time FFT analysis]
        W2B[Demodulators<br/>- FM/SSB/AM modes<br/>- Normal & Internal modes<br/>- Frequency translation<br/>- Audio processing<br/>- Multi-VFO support]
        W2C[IQ Recorder<br/>- SigMF format recording<br/>- Metadata capture<br/>- Satellite info tagging<br/>- Waterfall snapshot saving]
        W2D[Decoders<br/>- SSTV image decoder ✓<br/>- AFSK packet decoder WIP<br/>- LoRa/GMSK decoders WIP<br/>- Audio Broadcaster for monitoring]
        W3[SDR Local Probe<br/>- Device discovery<br/>- Local SoapySDR enumeration<br/>- Hardware capability detection]
        W4[SDR Remote Probe<br/>- Remote SoapySDR discovery<br/>- Network device scanning<br/>- Remote capability detection]
    end

    %% Hardware Layer
    subgraph Hardware["Hardware Interfaces"]
        direction LR
        H1[Antenna Rotators<br/>- Hamlib compatible<br/>- Az/El control]
        H2[Radios/Rigs<br/>- CAT control<br/>- Frequency tuning]
        H3[Local SDR Devices<br/>- RTL-SDR<br/>- SoapySDR devices<br/>- UHD/USRP]
        H4[Remote SDR Devices<br/>- SoapyRemote<br/>- rtl_tcp servers<br/>- Network receivers]
        H5[SigMF Playback<br/>- Virtual SDR device<br/>- Recording playback<br/>- SigMF metadata reader]
    end

    %% Storage Layer
    subgraph Storage["Data Storage"]
        S1[SigMF Recordings<br/>- .sigmf-data files<br/>- .sigmf-meta files<br/>- Waterfall snapshots]
        S2[Decoded Outputs<br/>- SSTV images<br/>- Packet data]
    end

    %% External Services
    subgraph External["External Data Sources"]
        E1[TLE Data Sources<br/>- CelesTrak<br/>- SatNOGS DB]
        E2[Satellite Databases<br/>- Transmitter info<br/>- Orbital data]
    end

    %% Connections - Frontend to Backend
    A <---|Socket.IO<br/>Bidirectional| B

    %% Backend to Workers
    B ---|Message Queues<br/>Commands & Status| W1
    B ---|Message Queues<br/>Stream Control| W2
    B ---|Message Queues<br/>Discovery Requests| W3
    B ---|Message Queues<br/>Remote Scanning| W4

    %% SDR IQ Distribution via IQ Broadcaster
    W2 ---|IQ Broadcaster<br/>Subscribe| W2A
    W2 ---|IQ Broadcaster<br/>Subscribe| W2B
    W2 ---|IQ Broadcaster<br/>Subscribe| W2C
    W2 ---|IQ Broadcaster<br/>Subscribe Raw IQ| W2D

    %% Demodulator to Decoder Chain
    W2B ---|Internal Mode<br/>Audio Broadcaster| W2D

    %% Data back to Backend
    W2A ---|FFT Data<br/>Spectrum/Waterfall| B
    W2B ---|Audio Data<br/>Demodulated| B
    W2D ---|Decoded Data<br/>Images/Text/Packets| B
    W2D ---|UI Audio Stream<br/>Live Monitoring| B

    %% Recording Storage
    W2C ---|Write SigMF<br/>Recording Files| S1
    W2D ---|Write Decoded<br/>Output Files| S2

    %% Hardware Control
    W1 ---|Control Commands| H1
    W1 ---|Frequency Control| H2
    W2 ---|IQ Data Streaming| H3
    W2 ---|Network Streaming| H4
    W2 ---|Playback Source| H5
    W3 ---|Device Enumeration| H3
    W4 ---|Remote Discovery| H4

    %% Storage Access
    H5 ---|Read Files| S1
    B ---|File Management| S1
    B ---|File Management| S2

    %% External Data
    B ---|HTTP/API Requests| E1
    B ---|Database Queries| E2

    %% Dark Mode Styling
    classDef frontend fill:#1a237e,stroke:#3f51b5,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef backend fill:#2e7d32,stroke:#4caf50,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef worker fill:#e65100,stroke:#ff9800,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef hardware fill:#4a148c,stroke:#9c27b0,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef storage fill:#01579b,stroke:#0288d1,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef external fill:#b71c1c,stroke:#f44336,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff

    class A frontend
    class B backend
    class W1,W2,W2A,W2B,W2C,W2D,W3,W4 worker
    class H1,H2,H3,H4,H5 hardware
    class S1,S2 storage
    class E1,E2 external

    %% Dashed borders for subgraphs
    style Workers stroke-dasharray: 5 5
    style Hardware stroke-dasharray: 5 5
    style Storage stroke-dasharray: 5 5
    style External stroke-dasharray: 5 5

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Signal Processing Data Flow

This diagram shows how radio signals flow through the system from SDR hardware to decoders and UI:

flowchart TB
    %% SDR Source
    SDR[SDR Hardware<br/>RTL-SDR, SoapySDR, UHD]

    %% IQ Broadcaster
    IQB[IQ Broadcaster<br/>Pub/Sub Pattern<br/>Deep copy for each subscriber]

    %% Primary Consumers
    subgraph Consumers["IQ Consumers"]
        FFT[FFT Processor<br/>→ Spectrum Display]
        REC[IQ Recorder<br/>→ SigMF Files]
        DEMOD[Demodulator<br/>FM/SSB/AM]
        IQDEC[IQ Decoders<br/>GMSK/FSK/BPSK]
    end

    %% Demodulator Branches
    subgraph DemodBranch["Demodulator Types"]
        direction TB
        NORM[Normal Mode<br/>User Playback]
        INT[Internal Mode<br/>For Decoders]
    end

    %% Audio Broadcaster for Internal Demodulators
    AUDIOB[Audio Broadcaster<br/>Pub/Sub Pattern<br/>Deep copy for each subscriber]

    %% Decoder Chain
    subgraph DecoderChain["Audio-based Decoder Processing"]
        direction TB
        DEC[Decoder<br/>AFSK]
        UIAUDIO[UI Audio Stream<br/>Live Monitoring]
    end

    %% Output Destinations
    subgraph Outputs["Outputs"]
        SPECUI[Spectrum/Waterfall UI]
        SIGFILE[SigMF Recording Files]
        PLAYBACK[Audio Playback to User]
        DECOUT[Decoded Data<br/>Images/Text/Packets]
        AUDIOUI[UI Audio Player<br/>Decoder Monitoring]
    end

    %% Connections
    SDR -->|Raw IQ Samples| IQB
    SDR -->|Raw IQ Samples| FFT
    IQB -->|Subscribe| REC
    IQB -->|Subscribe| DEMOD
    IQB -->|Subscribe| IQDEC

    DEMOD -->|Branch| NORM
    DEMOD -->|Branch| INT

    NORM -->|Audio Queue| PLAYBACK
    INT -->|Audio Queue| AUDIOB

    AUDIOB -->|Subscribe: decoder| DEC
    AUDIOB -->|Subscribe: ui| UIAUDIO

    FFT -->|FFT Data| SPECUI
    REC -->|Write| SIGFILE
    DEC -->|Decoded Output| DECOUT
    IQDEC -->|Decoded Output| DECOUT
    UIAUDIO -->|Audio Chunks| AUDIOUI

    %% Styling
    classDef hardware fill:#4a148c,stroke:#9c27b0,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef broadcaster fill:#d84315,stroke:#ff5722,stroke-width:3px,color:#ffffff
    classDef processor fill:#e65100,stroke:#ff9800,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef output fill:#01579b,stroke:#0288d1,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
    classDef decoder fill:#1b5e20,stroke:#4caf50,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff

    class SDR hardware
    class IQB,AUDIOB broadcaster
    class FFT,REC,DEMOD,NORM,INT processor
    class SPECUI,SIGFILE,PLAYBACK,DECOUT,AUDIOUI output
    class DEC,UIAUDIO decoder

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Key Concepts

IQ Broadcaster (Pub/Sub Pattern):

• SDR produces raw IQ samples at high rate
• IQBroadcaster distributes to multiple consumers simultaneously
• Each subscriber gets independent queue with deep-copied samples
• Slow consumers: messages dropped rather than blocking producer
• Supports: FFT processor, demodulators, IQ recorder, decoders (LoRa/GMSK)

Audio Broadcaster (Decoder Pattern):

• Only used for internal demodulators feeding decoders
• Distributes demodulated audio to:
  • Decoder subscriber: SSTV/AFSK decoder processing
  • UI subscriber: Live audio monitoring in browser
• Statistics tracking: delivered/dropped message counts per subscriber
• Graceful slow consumer handling

Chain Processing Example (SSTV):

1. SDR → IQBroadcaster → Internal FM Demodulator (SSTV)
2. FM Demodulator → AudioBroadcaster input queue
3. AudioBroadcaster → Decoder subscriber → SSTV Decoder → Image output
4. AudioBroadcaster → UI subscriber → Browser audio player

Why Broadcasters?

• Decoupling: Producers don't know about consumers
• Scalability: Add consumers without modifying producers
• Monitoring: Per-subscriber statistics and health monitoring
• Reliability: Slow consumers don't block fast producers

• Frontend: The frontend is a single-page application built with React, Redux Toolkit, and Material-UI. It communicates with the backend using a socket.io connection for real-time updates, including decoded data display and live audio monitoring.
• Backend: The backend is a Python application built with FastAPI. It provides a REST API and a socket.io interface for the frontend. It manages worker processes, decoder lifecycle, and coordinates the pub/sub architecture for signal distribution.
• Workers: The worker processes are responsible for the heavy lifting. They perform tasks such as satellite tracking, SDR streaming, signal demodulation, data decoding (SSTV implemented, AFSK/LoRa in development), and antenna control. Workers use IQ Broadcaster and Audio Broadcaster for efficient multi-consumer signal distribution.

Third-Party Libraries & Technologies

Backend

• FastAPI: A modern, fast (high-performance), web framework for building APIs with Python 3.7+ based on standard Python type hints.
• SQLAlchemy: The Python SQL Toolkit and Object Relational Mapper that gives application developers the full power and flexibility of SQL.
• Skyfield: A modern astronomy library for Python that computes positions for the stars, planets, and satellites in orbit around the Earth.
• NASA/JPL Horizons API: Ephemeris vectors and observer geometry for solar-system body tracking.
• SGP4: A Python implementation of the SGP4 satellite propagation model.
• Socket.IO: A library for real-time, bidirectional, event-based communication.
• pyrtlsdr: A Python wrapper for the RTL-SDR library.
• SoapySDR: A vendor and platform neutral SDR support library.
• SatDump: Satellite decoder suite used for weather image decoding workflows.
• gr-satellites: GNU Radio out-of-tree modules for satellite communications decoding.
• GNSS-SDR: Open-source software-defined GNSS receiver used by the GNSS decoder path.

Frontend

• React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
• Redux Toolkit: The official, opinionated, batteries-included toolset for efficient Redux development.
• Material-UI: A popular React UI framework with a comprehensive suite of UI tools.
• Vite: A build tool that aims to provide a faster and leaner development experience for modern web projects.
• Socket.IO Client: The client-side library for Socket.IO.
• Leaflet: An open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps.
• MapLibre Maps: Open-source map rendering engine used for 2D and globe map views.
• satellite.js: A JavaScript library to propagate satellite orbits.

SDR Device Support

Dedicated worker processes provide IQ acquisition, FFT processing, and demodulation support for multiple receiver families:

• RTL-SDR (USB or rtl_tcp) workers
• Airspy / Airspy HF+ native worker support (Airspy HF+ currently untested)
• SoapySDR devices locally or through SoapyRemote: RTL-SDR, Airspy, HackRF, HydraSDR, LimeSDR, PlutoSDR, UHD/USRP, and SDRplay (RSP series)
• UHD/USRP radios via a UHD worker
• Need another SoapySDR device? Open a GitHub issue and request support.

The SDR architecture uses a pub/sub pattern (IQ Broadcaster) to separate IQ acquisition from signal processing:

• IQ Acquisition Workers stream raw samples to IQ Broadcaster
• IQ Broadcaster distributes to multiple subscribers independently:
  • FFT Processor for spectrum/waterfall display
  • Demodulators (FM/SSB/AM) for audio output in normal and internal modes
  • IQ Recorder for SigMF format file capture
• Raw IQ Decoders (BPSK, GMSK) that bypass demodulation
• Audio Broadcaster distributes demodulated audio from internal demodulators to:
• Data Decoders (AFSK) for signal decoding
  • UI Audio Stream for live monitoring in browser

Note: The signal processing components (demodulators, broadcasters, decoders) were developed with assistance from Claude AI (Anthropic) to handle complex DSP algorithms. These components are clearly marked in the source code and are licensed under GPL-3.0 like the rest of the project.

IQ Recording & Playback

Ground Station includes comprehensive IQ recording and playback capabilities using the SigMF (Signal Metadata Format) standard:

Recording Features

• SigMF Format: Records IQ data as .sigmf-data files with accompanying .sigmf-meta JSON metadata
• Automatic Metadata: Captures center frequency, sample rate, timestamp, and recording duration
• Satellite Tracking: Automatically tags recordings with target satellite name and NORAD ID
• Waterfall Snapshots: Saves PNG snapshots of the waterfall display alongside recordings
• Multi-segment Support: Handles parameter changes (frequency, sample rate) as separate capture segments
• Real-time Monitoring: Live duration counter and visual recording indicator in the UI

Playback Features

• Virtual SDR Device: Recordings appear as "SigMF Playback" SDR in the device list
• Full Processing Pipeline: Playback supports FFT display, demodulation, and all signal processing
• Live-equivalent Decoding: During playback, demodulators and decoders run exactly as they do with live SDR input
• Recording Browser: Sortable list of recordings with metadata preview (sample rate, duration, timestamp)
• Timeline Scrubbing: A playback position slider above the waterfall status bar shows elapsed/total time and supports seeking to a target time
• Seamless Integration: Switch between live SDR and playback without changing workflows

Automated Observations

Ground Station includes an automated observation system for scheduled satellite passes:

• Monitored Satellites: Define satellite monitoring templates with hardware configurations, signal parameters, and task definitions.
• Automated Pass Scheduling: Automatically calculate and schedule upcoming passes based on configurable criteria (minimum elevation, lookahead window).
• Flexible Task Composition: Combine IQ recording (SigMF), audio recording, protocol decoding, and AI transcription in a single observation.
• Hardware Orchestration: Control SDR devices, antenna rotators (with satellite tracking), and rigs (with Doppler correction) during scheduled runs.
• Live Observation Capability: Watch the spectrum waterfall, listen to demodulated audio, and view live decoder output during automated passes.
• Multi-SDR Observing: Run automated observations on one SDR while additional SDRs record, decode, and listen to the same pass in parallel.
• Status Management: Track observation status (scheduled, running, completed, failed, cancelled, missed) with automatic cleanup of old entries.
• Session Management: Automated observations run in isolated internal VFO sessions (namespace: "internal:<observation_id>").

Getting Started

For development setup, build steps, and testing, see DEVELOPMENT.md.

Application Configuration

Ground Station backend runtime options are stored in backend/data/configs/app_config.json and are editable in the UI at Settings -> Settings.

Configuration precedence is:

1. CLI flags (highest priority)
2. app_config.json
3. built-in defaults (lowest priority)

The UI also exposes when a value is currently CLI-overridden and whether a change is hot-applied or restart-required.

/settings/preferences is kept as a compatibility route and is now rendered as a tab inside the unified Settings page.

Docker

Building from Source

The repository includes a multi-stage Dockerfile that builds the React frontend and a Python environment with SDR libraries.

docker build -t ground-station .

# Option 1: Standard bridge mode (works for local SDRs)
docker run --rm -p 7000:7000 --device /dev/bus/usb ground-station

# Option 2: Host networking (required for SoapySDR remote server discovery via mDNS)
docker run --rm --network host --device /dev/bus/usb ground-station

Using Pre-built Docker Images

Pre-built multi-architecture Docker images are available for each release. For detailed instructions on using a specific release, see the Releases page.

Pull the image

# Latest release tag (recommended)
docker pull ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>

# Or pull architecture-specific tags directly
docker pull ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>-amd64
docker pull ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>-arm64

Run the container

Option 1: With SoapySDR Remote Server Discovery (Recommended)

Uses host networking to enable automatic mDNS discovery of SoapySDR remote servers:

# AMD64
docker run -d \
  --platform linux/amd64 \
  --network host \
  --name ground-station \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --device=/dev/bus/usb \
  --privileged \
  -v /path/to/data:/app/backend/data \
  ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>

# ARM64 (Raspberry Pi, etc)
docker run -d \
  --platform linux/arm64 \
  --network host \
  --name ground-station \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v /dev:/dev \
  --privileged \
  -v /path/to/data:/app/backend/data \
  ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>

Option 2: Standard Bridge Mode (No SoapySDR Remote Discovery)

Uses standard bridge networking with port mapping:

# AMD64
docker run -d \
  --platform linux/amd64 \
  -p 7000:7000 \
  --name ground-station \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --device=/dev/bus/usb \
  --privileged \
  -v /path/to/data:/app/backend/data \
  ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>

# ARM64 (Raspberry Pi, etc)
docker run -d \
  --platform linux/arm64 \
  -p 7000:7000 \
  --name ground-station \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v /dev:/dev \
  --privileged \
  -v /path/to/data:/app/backend/data \
  ghcr.io/sgoudelis/ground-station:<version>

Important Notes:

• Replace /path/to/data with your desired data directory path
• Option 1 (host networking) is required for automatic discovery of SoapySDR remote servers via mDNS
• Option 2 works for local SDRs and all other features
• For Raspberry Pi hardware, only the Raspberry Pi 5 is recommended
• For ARM64, using -v /dev:/dev ensures all USB devices are accessible
• Access the web interface at http://<YOUR_HOST>:7000
• For TLS reverse-proxy deployments, see deploy/nginx/README.md

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see the CONTRIBUTING.md file for details on how to get started.

Acknowledgments

This project uses the SatNOGS API for transmitter information.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU GPL v3. See the LICENSE file for details.