🚀 Orbit — A Space-Themed MERN Social Media App

Connect. Explore. Discover the Universe — Together.

Orbit is a full-stack social media application with a cosmic twist — built using the powerful MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js). It allows users to share posts, interact with others, and experience a galaxy of features, all within a sleek space-themed interface.

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🌌 Key Features

🔐 Authentication

• User registration and login
• Password encryption with bcrypt
• Token-based authentication using JWT
• Secure access to private routes

📸 Post Management

• Create, read, update, and delete posts (CRUD)
• Upload and display images
• Like/unlike posts
• Comment on posts
• Real-time UI updates

👤 User Profiles

• View your profile with avatar, bio, and personal posts
• Visit and explore other users’ profiles
• Edit user details (name, bio, profile picture)

🏠 Home Feed

• Scroll through posts from users across the platform
• Display likes and comments
• Responsive design for mobile and desktop

⚙️ Under Development / Upcoming Features

• 🧠 AI-powered content recommendation system
• 🔍 Smart search bar for users and content
• 🗓️ Integrated calendar for scheduling posts/events
• 🌌 Discussion forum for group-based communication
• 🤖 AI assistant chatbot for personalized interaction

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🌐 Tech Stack

Layer	Technologies Used
Frontend	React.js, Redux, CSS Modules, Axios
Backend	Node.js, Express.js
Database	MongoDB, Mongoose
Authentication	JWT, bcrypt
Dev Tools	Nodemon, Concurrently, dotenv

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🗂️ Folder Structure

orbit/
├── client/         # React frontend
│   ├── public/
│   └── src/
│       ├── components/
│       ├── pages/
│       ├── redux/
│       └── utils/
│
├── server/         # Node.js backend
│   ├── controllers/
│   ├── models/
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── middleware/
│   └── index.js
│
├── .env
├── README.md
└── package.json

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🛠️ Getting Started

📦 Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v14 or above)
• npm
• MongoDB Atlas or local instance
• Git

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🚀 Backend Setup

1. Navigate to the server directory:

   cd server

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Create a .env file in the server/ directory and add the following:

   PORT=5000
   MONGO_URI=your-mongodb-connection-string
   JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key
   

4. Start the backend server using Nodemon:

   nodemon index.js

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🌠 Frontend Setup

1. Open a new terminal and navigate to the client directory:

   cd client

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the React app:

   npm start

The app will run on http://localhost:3000

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🧪 Sample Test Accounts

Once the platform reaches the testing phase — when both the backend and frontend are working seamlessly together — you can register using test credentials of your choice and explore the application functionality.

There’s no need for predefined accounts; simply sign up, log in, and start orbiting through the features.

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions, ideas, and suggestions are welcome! If you find a bug or have an idea for a feature, feel free to open an issue or create a pull request.

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. You are free to use, modify, and distribute this software under the terms of the GPL-3.0 License. © 2025 Aakar Gupta. All rights reserved.

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👨‍💻 Developer

Aakar Gupta, CS Engineering Student
📧 Email: ak10.aakar@gmail.com
📍 Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai
🌐 LinkedIn

"You're not just posting... you're launching your thoughts into orbit."