# Goal: an orbit skill, and knowing how to use orbit well

Captured by Igor on the user's behalf, 2026-09-29 (session journal: `journals/2026-09-29-17-orbit.md`).

## Objective

Turn hands-on orbit experience into a reusable skill, so agents in any project use the `orbit` code-graph CLI where it helps (structure questions) and fall back to grep where it doesn't. Along the way, learn how orbit can be used better than the first field guide managed.

## Acceptance criteria

- A research tree under `research/2026-09-29-17-orbit/` exists, starting from the recorded Python/Django field guide (phase 0), and its claims have been checked against the currently installed orbit version.
- A skill exists that tells an agent when to reach for orbit versus grep, how to keep the index fresh and avoid the known pitfalls, and gives it a cookbook of queries that have actually been tested.
- The skill does not depend on a single language: it covers Python at least and says what is known or unknown for other languages.
- Guidance for briefing subagents (for example Spire's search, scout and researcher agents) to use orbit is included or linked.

## Open

- Where the skill lives: a standalone plugin, or part of Spire.
- Which repositories to use as test beds for re-verification.

## Refinement 2026-09-29

- The prototype is enabled locally on spacecraft and dirigent. It records feedback about its own usage (queries, results, verdicts) so findings can be mined later. Compiling these projects is expensive, so anything that needs a build is learned from real usage.