Devlog: NASA Feature (Mintyboy)
🌌 Overview
The NASA feature turns the Mintyboy from just a game console into a space exploration device. It combines real-world NASA data with a retro UI, letting users explore planets, missions, and daily space content directly from the device.

Planets & Moons Explorer

Added a scrollable menu system for planets

Each planet includes:

1. Name

2. Basic info

3. Major moons (e.g., Europa, Titan, Luna)

Designed to work smoothly on limited hardware

Keeps everything lightweight and readable on a small screen

This feature gives the Mintyboy a mini solar system database. ______________________________________________________________________________Artemis II Mission

Added a dedicated section for Artemis II

Highlights:

1. First crewed mission of the Artemis program

2. Mission goal: orbit the Moon and return safely

3. Acts like a featured story inside the NASA menu

This connects the Mintyboy to real, modern space exploration. ______________________________________________________________________________ APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day)

Uses WiFi to connect to NASA’s APOD API

Displays:

1. Title

2. Short description

Images are simplified due to hardware limits; the TFT screen cannot display an image that is in APOD

This makes the device feel dynamic, like it’s updating with new space content daily (which it kinda is)

Challenges: Fitting large astronomy data into a tiny display

Managing memory limits

Parsing API responses efficiently

Keeping UI smooth alongside games

Final Result
The NASA feature transforms the Mintyboy into:

A game console

A learning tool

A space exploration hub!