Landing Panels for the Star Map

The star map should make exploration feel intentional, not brittle. The latest Spacefolio pass changes docking from immediate navigation into a small landing panel that previews the destination before the visitor leaves the map.

Why add a pause?

Immediate route changes are efficient, but they make the canvas feel like a hidden menu. A landing panel gives the interaction a clearer rhythm: approach a target, inspect the title and summary, then choose whether to open the page or keep flying.

That also makes content planets more useful. When the visitor docks at Projects or Blog, the panel can surface nearby project or post targets that already exist in the static MDX index.

Accessibility details

The panel is ordinary HTML layered over the canvas. It receives focus when opened, exposes a labeled dialog region, includes normal links for navigation, and can be dismissed with Escape or the close button.

The canvas still remains optional. Reduced-motion mode, WebGL failure, header navigation, and the static fallback links all continue to provide non-canvas paths through the same routes and content.

What this preserves

The visual language stays close to a restrained vector cockpit: dark void, thin outlines, compact HUD controls, and bright target accents. The interaction is more deliberate, but the portfolio still behaves like a fast static site first.