Project Overview

This is an accurate as possible small scale model of our solar system built using Three.js. Users can interact with the planets, view their orbits, and learn interesting facts about each celestial body. The purpose of the project is to provide an engaging educational tool for teachers and students to explore the wonders of our solar system in a fun and interactive way without needing a high-end device. I built this with a friend as a submission for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge.

The challenges I faced included optimizing performance for lower-end devices while maintaining visual fidelity, implementing realistic orbital mechanics, and creating an intuitive user interface for navigation and information display. The Moon was particularly tricky to implement with accurate orbit around Earth while both bodies orbited the Sun. I overcame these challenges through extensive research, experimentation with different rendering techniques, and seeking feedback from mentors and potential users to refine the interface. This entire was project built from scratch using only online resources and documentation. I learned a lot about 3D rendering, performance optimization, and user interaction design while working on this project.