Create a mesh of satellites spinning around

satellites.py

# made in answer to http://blender.stackexchange.com/q/67612/935
# create a mesh of satellites based on http://space.stackexchange.com/q/19055

import bpy, bpy_extras, bmesh
import math, mathutils

if False: # change to True for final test - needs about 6GB free ram
    # full data
    # num_planes, num_sats, radius, frames
    # frames is number of frames that the orbital plane takes to rotate 360
    sat_set = [
        [32,50,1150, 200],
        [32,50,1110, 200],
        [ 8,50,1130, 200],
        [ 5,75,1275, 200],
        [ 6,75,1325, 200],
    ]
else:
    # small test set - needs about 1GB
    sat_set = [
        [16,8,1150, 200],
        [16,8,1110, 200],
        [ 8,8,1130, 200],
        [ 5,8,1275, 200],
        [ 6,8,1325, 200],
    ]

set_scale = 0.01

armature_name = 'Controller'
orbital_name = 'OrbitalPlane'

c = bpy.context

if c.mode != 'OBJECT':
    bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='OBJECT')
bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='SELECT')
bpy.ops.object.delete(use_global=False)

ad = bpy.data.armatures.new(armature_name)
cntrl = bpy.data.objects.new(armature_name, ad)
c.scene.objects.link(cntrl)

def duplicateonverts(par):
    bm = bmesh.new()
    bm.from_mesh(par.data)

    src = [v for v in bm.verts]

    for v in src:
        loc = mathutils.Matrix.Translation(v.co)
        rot = v.normal.to_track_quat('-Y','Z')
        mat = mathutils.Matrix.Identity(3)
        mat.rotate(rot)
        mat = loc * mat.to_4x4() * mat.Scale(set_scale*20,4)
        bmesh.ops.create_monkey(bm, matrix=mat)

    bm.to_mesh(par.data)
    bm.free()

for di,d in enumerate(sat_set): # each deployment
    for oi,o in enumerate(range(d[0])): # orbital planes
        n = 'op_'+str(di)+'_'+str(oi)
        rot = (math.radians(90),0,math.radians((360/d[0])*oi))

        bpy.ops.mesh.primitive_circle_add(vertices=d[1],
                radius=d[2]*set_scale,
                rotation=rot )
        duplicateonverts(c.active_object)
        c.active_object.name = n
        c.active_object.vertex_groups.new(n)
        bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')
        bpy.ops.mesh.select_all(action='SELECT')
        bpy.ops.object.vertex_group_assign()
        bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='OBJECT')

        cntrl.select = True
        c.scene.objects.active = cntrl
        bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')
        b = cntrl.data.edit_bones.new(n)
        b.head = (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)
        b.tail = (0.0, 0.0, 1.0)
        b.roll = rot[2]
        bn = b.name
        bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='POSE')
        b = cntrl.pose.bones[bn]
        b.rotation_mode = 'XYZ'
        b.rotation_euler.z = 0.0
        b.keyframe_insert('rotation_euler', index=2, frame=0)
        cntrl.animation_data.action.fcurves[-1].keyframe_points[-1].interpolation = 'LINEAR'
        b.rotation_euler.z = math.radians(360)
        b.keyframe_insert('rotation_euler', index=2, frame=d[3])
        cntrl.animation_data.action.fcurves[-1].keyframe_points[-1].interpolation = 'LINEAR'
        cntrl.animation_data.action.fcurves[-1].extrapolation = 'LINEAR'
        bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='OBJECT')


bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='DESELECT')
bpy.ops.object.select_pattern(pattern='op_*')
c.scene.objects.active = c.selected_objects[0]
bpy.ops.object.join()
c.active_object.name = orbital_name

m = c.active_object.modifiers.new('Armature', type='ARMATURE')
m.object = cntrl
m.use_vertex_groups = True