OrbitMLP: Neural Network Orbital Trajectory Predictor
Overview
OrbitMLP is a deep learning model that learns to predict orbital trajectories using Keplerian dynamics. Instead of numerically integrating orbits step-by-step with RK4, the neural network learns to directly predict the next state given the current state.
The model is trained using physics-informed loss functions that enforce energy conservation and angular momentum conservation, in addition to standard MSE regression on trajectory data.
Key Features:
Pure JAX/Flax implementation for automatic differentiation and GPU acceleration
Physics-informed training with energy and angular momentum constraints
Lightweight MLP architecture with residual blocks
Direct trajectory prediction without iterative solvers
Demo
The following results show OrbitMLP compared against the ground-truth RK4 integrator:
Orbit Comparison
Left Panel: Trajectory comparison showing an elliptic orbit. Blue = RK4 (ground truth), Red = OrbitMLP prediction. The neural network learns to reproduce the orbital shape with high fidelity.
Center Panel: Position vs time for x and y coordinates. The NN closely follows RK4 across the entire trajectory.
Right Panel: Energy conservation comparison. Both RK4 and the neural network maintain approximately constant total energy throughout the orbit.