diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index e618bea..cc67524 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -62,23 +62,24 @@ createSatelliteMesh()
 	return sm;
 }
 
-// TODO: this should be 2 separate functions. 1 for updating the g_sys.sat true
-//	anomaly, and another for updating the renderer entity
 void
-updateSatellitePosition(entity& sat)
+updateSatelliteModel(const system_2body& sys, satellite& sat)
+{
+	sat.theta = getPropagatedTrueAnomaly(sys, sat.theta, sys.time_step);
+	sat.gamma = orbitGetFlightPathAngle(sys.ep.e, sat.theta);
+	sat.r = orbitGetRadialDistance(sys.ep.e, sys.ep.p, sat.theta);
+	sat.v = orbitGetVelocity(sys.epsilon, sys.body.mu, sat.r);
+	sat.position = glm::vec3(polarToRect(sat.theta, sat.r), 0);
+}
+
+void
+updateSatelliteEntity(entity& ent, const satellite& sat)
 {
 	// TODO: decouple framerate from time_step
 	const static glm::mat4 xform =
 		glm::rotate(glm::mat4(1.0), (float) M_PI_2, glm::vec3(1, 0, 0));
-
-	satellite& s1 = g_sys.sat;
-	s1.theta = getPropagatedTrueAnomaly(g_sys, s1.theta, g_sys.time_step);
-	s1.gamma = orbitGetFlightPathAngle(g_sys.ep.e, s1.theta);
-	s1.r = orbitGetRadialDistance(g_sys.ep.e, g_sys.ep.p, s1.theta);
-	s1.v = orbitGetVelocity(g_sys.epsilon, g_sys.body.mu, s1.r);
-	glm::vec2 coords = polarToRect(s1.theta, s1.r);
-	glm::vec3 v = s1.position = glm::vec3(coords, 0);
-	entSetWorldPosition(sat, xform * glm::vec4(v.x, v.y, v.z, 1));
+	const glm::vec3& v = sat.position;
+	entSetWorldPosition(ent, xform * glm::vec4(v.x, v.y, v.z, 1));
 }
 
 // NOTE: use ellipseValidate(ep) before calling to avoid failing assertions
@@ -117,7 +118,8 @@ postFrameCallback(render_state* rs)
 	g_sys.ep = ellipseInitAE(g_sys.ep.a, g_sys.ep.e);
 	entity& ellipse_entity = rs->render_groups[0].entities[0];
 	updateOrbit(g_sys, ellipse_entity);
-	updateSatellitePosition(rs->render_groups[0].entities[2]);
+	updateSatelliteModel(g_sys, g_sys.sat);
+	updateSatelliteEntity(rs->render_groups[0].entities[2], g_sys.sat);
 }
 
 int