Run your first mission with simulation

This chapter guides you through creating or importing a mission and running it in simulation for the first time. By the end of this section, you should have a mission running successfully in the SkyTrack simulation environment.

Before you begin

Make sure that:

• SkyTrack Client is installed and opened successfully
• You are signed in (via the web portal)
• Docker Desktop is running
• The simulation environment setup has completed without errors

If you haven’t completed these steps, please refer back to the Install & Setup chapter.

Entering Mission Simulation

When you open the SkyTrack Client:

1. Select Mission Simulation from the mode selection screen
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   2. Or changing the mode if already in the Ground control station using the button on the top left of the screen
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3. Click Start

SkyTrack will load the simulation workspace.

Understanding missions in SkyTrack

A mission defines how a drone behaves during a simulation, such as:

• Where it starts
• How it moves
• What actions it performs

In this version, missions are managed individually. Project-based organization will be introduced later.

Option 1: Create a new mission

Creating a new mission is the recommended way to get started.

Steps

1. From the Missions screen, click New Mission
2. SkyTrack will open a blank mission in the simulation workspace
3. Begin configuring your mission as needed

Once created, the mission is ready to be simulated.

Option 2: Import a mission from a local file

If you already have a mission file, you can import it directly.

Steps

1. From the Missions screen, click Import
2. Select a mission file from your local machine
3. Confirm the import

After import, the mission will open in the simulation workspace.

Notes

• Only supported mission file formats can be imported (JSON)
• If an import fails, verify that the file format and structure are valid

Running the simulation

Once a mission is open:

1. Review the mission setup
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3. Start the simulation using the available controls
4. Observe the drone behavior within the simulated environment

Simulation allows you to test and iterate safely without using real hardware.

During simulation

While the simulation is running, you can:

• Observe mission execution
• Monitor system behavior
• Stop or restart the simulation if needed

Simulation performance may vary depending on your system resources.

If the simulation does not start

If you encounter issues starting the simulation:

• Confirm Docker Desktop is still running
• Check that the environment setup completed successfully
• Restart the SkyTrack Client and try again

Most issues can be resolved by restarting Docker and retrying the simulation.

What’s next

After running your first mission, you can:

• Modify the mission and run it again
• Import additional missions
• Explore Ground Control Station if you have compatible hardware

For common issues and solutions, refer to the Troubleshooting section.