The typical agenda for an Orekit training session is the following:

Day 1

  • Setting up
    • Eclipse
    • maven
    • Hipparchus
    • Data configuration
  • Overview of Orekit packages
  • Basic components
    • time
    • frames
    • orbits

Day 2

  • Propagation
    • General concepts
    • Propagation modes
    • Events

Day 3

  • Extended use
    • Attitude
    • New events design
    • Derivatives
    • Orbit determination
  • Hipparchus
    • Available algorithms
    • Hints for numerical accuracy
    • Tips and tricks about IEEE754

Depending on the audience, we can also include parts of the Rugged geometric correction library training in day 3.

The training has already been performed a number of times. It is quite dense (day 2, despite addressing only one topic is in fact quite long). There are exercises to be done by attendees, with the help of the tutor. The training is always adapted to questions and demands from students, so their problems are adressed. The tutor is most of the time Luc Maisonobe, main creator and developer of the library.

At the end of the training, attendees should be able to use Orekit with a broad view of what is already provided, which helps avoiding people wasting time developing features that in fact are already present in Orekit and that they missed when they discovered it all by themselves). Attendees will also know the rationale behind some design decisions and get some best practices for efficient and accurate computation.