Orion Today

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  Orion Today, developed for the Code with Kiro Hackathon, it reveals the cosmos with NASA APOD and Grok-4.

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  Explains the project’s mission: transforming NASA’s APOD into an interactive, educational, and engaging experience powered by AI.

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  Demonstrates the main functionality: interactive 3D photo cards of cosmic objects and simplified AI text explanations for each NASA image.

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  Shows the system architecture and technologies used: React, TailwindCSS, Node.js, Express, NASA APOD API, and Grok AI integration.

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  Defines the intended audience and closes with thanks to the Code with Kiro Hackathon organizers.

🌌 Inspiration

I wanted to make learning about space a daily, fun experience instead of something dry and boring. Astronomy can be awe-inspiring, but sometimes the explanations feel too technical. I wanted to bridge the gap and make cosmic discoveries more engaging for everyone.

🚀 What it does

Orion Today shows NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) and, using the Grok API, transforms each image into witty explanations, memes, and viral-style posts. Every day feels like opening a new cosmic story — but with personality.

🛠 How I built it

• Integrated NASA’s APOD API to fetch daily space imagery.

• Connected the Grok API to generate playful yet informative text.

• Used React (frontend) and Node.js (backend) for a simple but scalable architecture.

• Leveraged Kiro IDE for structuring the project: generating initial requirements, setting up tasks, and even producing test cases.

⚡ Challenges I ran into

• Balancing scientific accuracy with a fun, casual tone was tricky.

• Limited Kiro free requests meant I had to carefully choose where to apply automation (I used them mainly for API integration and test updates).

• Making the design playful but lightweight enough for daily use.

🏆 Accomplishments that I'm proud of

• Built a working prototype that turns space images into content people want to read and share.

• Successfully demonstrated AI + open data synergy using both NASA’s datasets and Grok’s conversational power.

• Created an interactive UI with a 3D hover effect and countdown timer for the next APOD refresh.

📚 What I learned

• How to combine open scientific data with generative AI to spark curiosity.

• How to use Kiro IDE effectively for project scaffolding, requirement generation, and testing.

• How small design details (like hover animations) can improve engagement.

🔮 What's next for Orion Today

• Add more data sources (e.g., exoplanet data, live ISS feeds).

• Experiment with new formats: short videos, quizzes, and notifications.

• Build a mobile app for daily cosmic updates.

• Explore social media integration so users can share space content directly.

Built With

• grok-api
• kiro-ide
• nasa-apod-api
• node.js
• react