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A spacecraft block diagram editor

A spacecraft block diagram editor

by thadjones·Jun 14, 2026·1 point·0 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemBig Brain

Spacecraft-specific diagram editor with heritage tracking that Visio can't match.

Strengths
  • Domain-specific component library covers actual spacecraft subsystems like C&DH and GN&C
  • Smart line routing with edge pinning solves real diagram fiddliness
  • Heritage tracking for flight components is uniquely spacecraft-focused
Weaknesses
  • Extremely narrow audience limits broader applicability
  • Single developer tool without collaboration features
Category
Target Audience

Spacecraft engineers and systems designers

Similar To

Visio · Lucidchart · Draw.io

Post Description

I work on early stage spacecraft concepts, so I draft and edit spacecraft block diagrams often. Each and every time I'm frustrated by the "fiddliness" of tools like Powerpoint or Visio - lines overlap when I don't want them to, or don't when I do. I fight invisible grids when sizing and placing boxes. Legend entries end up ever-so-slightly misaligned. So I made my own little single-purpose tool.

Satblocks is the distillation of my own opinionated set of spacecraft block diagram requirements and needs into a niche tool. I actually had developed it in the framework of a larger early spacecraft development toolkit I've been building called Vesper[1] but I was so pleased with how charmingly effective it was, I decided to break it out as a standalone tool as well.

I'm not sure if it will be useful to anyone else, but for me it has been a wonderful small upgrade in building what can be tedious and fiddly system artifacts. Try it out!

[1] https://vesperastro.com

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