After much thought about this project, I have decided to master Kerbal Space Program, a rocket building simulator set in a fictional solar system that loosely resembles our own. I chose to do this for my project because it is something I've wanted to do for awhile but have been unable to because it involves a significant time commitment. My motivation for this project is that I enjoy interactive methods of learning, and I enjoy science, and this happens to be an interactive tool for learning rocket science. After doing some background research, I have decided on a few destinations that I will attempt to reach, and hopefully return from in one piece. My first goal is to get a rocket into orbit around the starting planet (Kerbin). After that I will visit Kerbin's two moons, Minmus and Mun. My next step is to launch a space station into orbit that will serve as a checkpoint and refueling station for longer missions. My next destinations will be, in order: Duna (Mars), Eve (Venus), and Jool (Jupiter). My goal at the end of the project is to have returned successfully from Jool, which I am saving for last because it is the farthest away of my targets, and has the strongest gravity of any planet in the solar system, making it the most difficult to return from. If at the beginning of the mission to Jool, I feel like I have extra time, I will attempt to build a rover to send with the mission to explore the surface. If I still have extra time, I will begin to explore the remaining 10 planets/moons, beginning with 4 of Jool's 5 moons, Laythe, Vall, Tylo, and Bop (I'm not going to Pol because people are saying it's biased).
 |
| xkcd: Orbital Mechanics |
Hi Sam,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very cool idea for a project. I have heard a lot about KSP but never played it. What exactly do you need to do to get better at playing? Is their a strategy to what you do? Or is it only luck and power-ups that will return you from Jool? Good luck!
The primary challenge is having enough fuel to get there and back, but also being as light as possible. For the long trip to and from Jool, I will need to plan my route and maneuvers carefully to minimize fuel consumption. There is some luck involved, but there are no power-ups.
Delete