Direct-To-Home support

[Capkirk123]

As discussed in discord, better support for direct-to-home/TVRO stations.

Add the ability to automatically generate ground stations over a set geographical area to simulate TVRO/Direct-to-home satellite stations without needing to manually create a bunch of stations. I believe making the stations "non-tracking" was also discussed, so that they reject connections with any satellite that moves across their field of view too quickly. I would like some control over this parameter if it was added, as non-geostationary satellites have been used in combination with fixed satellite stations (the Japanese QZSS constellation used a tundra orbit with enough satellites that one would always be within the field of view of the fixed ground stations, while the Sirius Satellite radio system uses low-gain antennas that are relatively insensitive to satellite position as long as it is high enough above the horizon).

[eggrobin]

I believe making the stations "non-tracking" was also discussed, so that they reject connections with any satellite that moves across their field of view too quickly. I would like some control over this parameter if it was added, as non-geostationary satellites have been used in combination with fixed satellite stations (the Japanese QZSS constellation used a tundra orbit with enough satellites that one would always be within the field of view of the fixed ground stations, while the Sirius Satellite radio system uses low-gain antennas that are relatively insensitive to satellite position as long as it is high enough above the horizon).

More than just discussed, I had experimented with it.
I did not do that by limiting the speed at which satellites move, because that is not how it works and then it leads to the issues you mentioned; instead I did it by making the player designate some nominal spot in the sky where the satellite is supposed to be, and having the antenna target that; then things keep working in a reasonably wide cone around that spot.

[eggrobin]

Some screenshots from those experiments (in November 2021 and March 2022, respectively):

[Capkirk123]

Ah, that is a much nicer system.