Mission Explorer: Visualizer (Kolossus)

Mission Explorer is a web-based platform that allows users with or without an academic background to access and interact with high-resolution lunar imagery and 3D crater panoramas from NASA's Apollo missions. The application provides an immersive experience for exploring the lunar surface, complete with an AI-powered assistant, "CraterBot," to answer questions and provide context about the missions.

Features

• High-Resolution Image Viewer: Explore massive lunar images with a dynamic tiling system that allows for smooth zooming and panning.
• 3D Crater Explorer: Immerse yourself in 360° panoramic views of lunar craters.
• Investigation Lab: Select and stitch multiple images together to create panoramic views.
• AI-Powered Chat Assistant (CraterBot): Get information and ask questions about the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions, as well as the lunar features you are observing.
• Admin Panel: A dedicated interface for uploading and managing lunar imagery and crater panoramas.

Technologies Used

Frontend

• Next.js: A React framework for building server-side rendered and static web applications.
• React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
• TypeScript: A typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript.
• Tailwind CSS: A utility-first CSS framework for rapid UI development.
• shadcn/ui: A collection of re-usable UI components.

Backend

• Flask: A lightweight WSGI web application framework in Python.
• Pillow: A powerful image processing library for Python.
• OpenCV: A library of programming functions mainly aimed at real-time computer vision.
• Google Generative AI: Powers the CraterBot assistant.

Setup and Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm (or yarn)
• Python 3.7+ and pip
• A Google Generative AI API Key

Backend Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://your-repository-url.git
   cd your-repository-name

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use `venv\Scripts\activate`

3. Install the required Python packages:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up your Google Generative AI API Key:

   • Open the server_side.py file.

5. Run the Flask server:

   python server_side.py

Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to the frontend directory (assuming your Next.js project is in a frontend subdirectory):

   cd frontend

2. Install the required npm packages:

   npm install

3. Run the Next.js development server:

   npm run dev

   The frontend application will be accessible at http://localhost:3000.

Usage

• Home Page: Provides an introduction to the project and links to the main sections.
• Apollo Missions: Browse through the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions and explore their available imagery.
• Crater Explorer: View and interact with 3D panoramic images of lunar craters.
• Dynamic Image Viewer: Pan and zoom through high-resolution lunar images. Click on crater hotspots to interact with CraterBot.
• Investigation Lab: Select a mission and choose images to stitch together into a panoramic view.
• Admin Panel: Access the admin panel at a designated route to upload new images and crater panoramas.

API Endpoints

Chat

• POST /api/init: Initializes a new chat session.
• POST /api/select-crater: Selects a crater for the chat context.
• POST /api/chat/stream: Streams a response from the CraterBot.

Image and Tile Management

• POST /api/upload: Uploads a new high-resolution image and generates tiles.
• GET /api/missions/<mission>/images: Retrieves a list of images for a specific mission.
• GET /api/tiles/<mission>/<image_name>/<zoom>/<col>_<row>.jpg: Retrieves a specific image tile.
• GET /api/preview/<mission>/<image_name>: Retrieves a preview of an image.
• GET /api/metadata/<mission>/<image_name>: Retrieves metadata for a specific image.
• GET /api/tile-info/<mission>/<image_name>: Retrieves tile information for a specific image.

Crater Management

• POST /api/craters/upload: Uploads a new crater panorama.
• GET /api/craters/list: Retrieves a list of all crater panoramas.
• GET /api/craters/<crater_id>: Retrieves information for a specific crater.
• GET /api/craters/image/<filename>: Retrieves the full-size image for a crater.
• GET /api/craters/thumbnail/<filename>: Retrieves the thumbnail for a crater.
• DELETE /api/craters/<crater_id>: Deletes a crater.

Investigation

• POST /api/investigation/stitch: Stitches a series of images together into a panorama.