Hi Aleyna,
I understand that you are seeking assistance in visualizing a rocket's trajectory in Google Earth via MATLAB. To visualize the rise of a rocket and the fall of its stages in Google Earth using MATLAB, and specifically leveraging KML (Keyhole Markup Language) along with the Google Earth Toolbox, follow the steps to generate KML file that represents trajectory data.
Step 1: Install the Google Earth Toolbox
First, ensure to have Google Earth Toolbox installed. Download it and add it to MATLAB path:
addpath('path_to_google_earth_toolbox');
Step 2: Prepare Data
Have trajectory data ready. Typically, this includes arrays of latitude, longitude, and altitude. One might have separate sets for the ascent and each stage's descent:
% Example data
lat_ascent = [40, 40.5, 41]; % Latitude
lon_ascent = [-74, -74.5, -75]; % Longitude
alt_ascent = [0, 5000, 10000]; % Altitude in meters
% Assuming stage 1 descent for demonstration
lat_descent1 = [41, 40.5, 40];
lon_descent1 = [-75, -74.5, -74];
alt_descent1 = [10000, 5000, 0];
Step 3: Generate KML for Ascent
Using the toolbox, generate the KML segment for the rocket's ascent. Customize the appearance using various options:
kmlStr = ge_plot3(lon_ascent, lat_ascent, alt_ascent, ...
'lineColor', 'FF00FF00', ...
'lineWidth', 5, ...
'name', 'Rocket Ascent');
Step 4: Generate KML for Stage Descents
Similarly, generate KML for the descent of each stage. Repeat this step as needed for multiple stages:
kmlStr = [kmlStr, ge_plot3(lon_descent1, lat_descent1, alt_descent1, ...
'lineColor', 'FFFF0000', ...
'lineWidth', 5, ...
'name', 'Stage 1 Descent')];
Step 5: Save the KML File
Concatenate all KML strings if have multiple segments (ascent, descent stages) and save the KML file:
ge_output('rocket_trajectory.kml', kmlStr);
Step 6: View in Google Earth
Open the generated rocket_trajectory.kml file in Google Earth to visualize the rocket's trajectory, including its ascent and the descent of its stages.
Additional Notes:
- The “ge_plot3” function is used here as an example; depending on the Google Earth Toolbox version or the specific toolbox one is using, function names and parameters might vary. Always refer to the toolbox documentation.
- Customize the visualization by adjusting the parameters such as linecolor, linewidth, and others according to one’s preference and the specifics of data.
- Ensure latitude and longitude data are in decimal degrees, and altitude is in meters for compatibility with Google Earth's expectations.
This approach allows to create detailed and customized visualizations of complex trajectories in Google Earth, leveraging MATLAB's computational capabilities and the visualization strengths of KML.
Please refer to the following File Exchange and documentation links-
- Google Earth Toolbox- https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/12954-google-earth-toolbox
- KML Toolbox- https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/34694-kml-toolbox?s_tid=srchtitle_support_results_1_kml
- Add Path- https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/addpath.html?searchHighlight=addpath&s_tid=srchtitle_support_results_1_addpath
- GEplot- https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/12948-geplot?s_tid=srchtitle_support_results_1_ge_plot3
Hope it helps!
Best Regards,
Simar
