Post by scooter on Jul 22, 2005 16:47:26 GMT -4
Some of you may be familiar with it...
It is a highly accurate freeware space simulator which, through many high quality 3rd party add-ons, allows the user to make accurate flights replicating the various manned flights and unmanned probes to other planets.
It does require a basic understanding of orbital mechanics, but, once learned, a trip to the Moon on an Apollo flight or a rendezvous with the shuttle and ISS are pretty straightforward.
The forums are sometimes clogged with requests for basic "techniques" by those who don't understand the "go faster to slow down" quality of astrodynamics. Eventually after coaxing they do some reading in the links and come to realize that rocket science is just science, something that indeed can be learned and understood...
The added benefit of Orbiter is that it's just lots of fun, and you learn stuff along the way.
Maybe some of our HBs could be pointed to the sim to learn how things work...kinda a "poor man's" STK...
orbitersim.com
Just a thought...
Dave
It is a highly accurate freeware space simulator which, through many high quality 3rd party add-ons, allows the user to make accurate flights replicating the various manned flights and unmanned probes to other planets.
It does require a basic understanding of orbital mechanics, but, once learned, a trip to the Moon on an Apollo flight or a rendezvous with the shuttle and ISS are pretty straightforward.
The forums are sometimes clogged with requests for basic "techniques" by those who don't understand the "go faster to slow down" quality of astrodynamics. Eventually after coaxing they do some reading in the links and come to realize that rocket science is just science, something that indeed can be learned and understood...
The added benefit of Orbiter is that it's just lots of fun, and you learn stuff along the way.
Maybe some of our HBs could be pointed to the sim to learn how things work...kinda a "poor man's" STK...
orbitersim.com
Just a thought...
Dave