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Orbiter Sim Gets You Spaced

Posted by simoniker on from the marvellous-day-for-a-moonwalk dept.

stinky wizzleteats writes "Ever wondered why a space flight simulator never really got off the ground in the PC simulation scene? The answer is that it needed to be free. Dr. Martin Schweiger started the ball rolling a few years ago with Orbiter, a freeware Win32 DirectX based space flight simulator, in which you can fly orbital rendezvous, lunar landing, and even interplanetary missions. The current version has excellent graphics, including atmospheric descent and re-entry effects. There's also a burgeoning community of add-on developers, creating everything from sound add-ons and interplanetary navigation aids to complete working Apollo/Saturn 5 spacecraft. Virtual space agencies have even sprung up, using Roger Wilco and remote telemetry software (virtual mission control) to do Orbiter missions online. You can find the basic Orbiter files at Avsim or Sourceforge."

24 comments

  1. Amazing Simulator by dirtyhank · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been "playing" Orbiter for over a year and it's an amazing piece of software. Beware it's nothing like those space combats games, this is a simulator with real physics. That's why it's very tough to control the first times you "play" it. But believe me, once you know the basic controls, how to read the different HUD, how to use the on-board computer and some basic space travel physics you'll be blown away by this simulator. BTW, print the manual, you'll need it.

    Launching the Shuttle into a low orbit is pretty easy, things get interesting when you try to recreate a Lunar landing mission, very cool. I still remember my first Mars landing, boy, that was tough :-).

    There're a few projects using Orbiter, one of my favourites is SimNASA. As you may guess it's a virtual NASA, you can join the agency and start being trained for future missions.

    1. Re:Amazing Simulator by cgenman · · Score: 1

      How are the large timeframes of interplanetary travel handled in the simulation?

      --
      The ______ Agenda
    2. Re:Amazing Simulator by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 1
      Launching the Shuttle into a low orbit is pretty easy

      Not really, atleast the manual doesn't seem to think so, and I've found in practice that it was fairly tricky until I understood the characteristics of that particular vehicle (part of the problem I had is that I've been studying kerosene/LOX vehicles, it turns out that the Shuttle behaves rather differently). Anyway, once I figured out the differences I managed a highly eccentric orbit, just, perigee turned out to be 90 km, by some miracle I didn't reenter ;-)

      The other problems I've had with it is that it seems reasonably buggy. By pushing some common combinations of keys it appears to crash, and an earlier version didn't seem to run at all on my system for no very obvious reason. Still, the graphics are cool; but some of the physics is a bit dodgy, particularly crashes and high speeds. Also the UI is not the best, although parts of it are well thought out; it's a real curate's egg.

      --

      -WolfWithoutAClause

      "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
    3. Re:Amazing Simulator by ceejayoz · · Score: 1

      You can speed up the simulation to get to the action.

    4. Re:Amazing Simulator by alcharn · · Score: 1

      This sounds really incredible. I have heard how amazing it is and you just reassured its appeal. Can you tell me more about it?

  2. Never wondered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Ever wondered why a space flight simulator never really got off the ground in the PC simulation scene?"

    No. I always assumed it was because space flight is really really dull. Sure, if you are really flying it's great... no gravity, wonderful view of earth etc. But the part that can really be simulated, i.e. the button pushing to get the craft going in the right direction just isn't that exciting.

  3. Forget it by dirtyhank · · Score: 1

    Oops, forget the SimNASA paragrah. I should read the stories more carefully.

    Sorry

  4. WINE by hummassa · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Does it run under WINE or can it be compiled under WINElib?

    --
    It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
    1. Re:WINE by den_erpel · · Score: 1

      Does it run under WINE or can it be compiled under WINElib?

      I guess there is only one way to find out :)
      --
      Genius doesn't work on an assembly line basis. You can't simply say, "Today I will be brilliant."
  5. I always thought ... by torpor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... that a NASA MMOPRG/FlightSim combo would be kind of cool.

    Imagine if you could join in an existing Space Program to build ISS, online, and participate in it somehow ... sort of an entire virtual NASA. 20 guys in Mission Control, 12 guys in Space, 8 on the ISS already, etc... that'd be fun, if the tech was right and well presented.

    Seems to me this would be a bit more intellectually stimulating than "Sims" or "Quake", anyway. I know for sure I'd be playing it, anyway...

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    1. Re:I always thought ... by coaxial · · Score: 1

      ... that a NASA MMOPRG/FlightSim combo would be kind of cool.

      Imagine if you could join in an existing Space Program to build ISS, online, and participate in it somehow ... sort of an entire virtual NASA. 20 guys in Mission Control, 12 guys in Space, 8 on the ISS already, etc... that'd be fun, if the tech was right and well presented.

      Really? Why? Have you ever watched NASA-TV? It's incredibly boring and tedious. Why would you want that? Why would you want to be one of the 20 that sit in mission control and monitor telemetry. There's no science. Nothing new. Nothing exciting.

      Look I've been to Space Camp/Academy twice. While there I took part in three "missions". Once as part of the crew (I was the commander), and twice as part of mission control (orbiter systems officer, and launch gantry officer). Mission Control is BORING. You throw a couple of switches, and say "check", "nominal", and "go". That's it. If that's your idea of a good time, man...

    2. Re:I always thought ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look I've been to Space Camp/Academy twice. While there I took part in three "missions". Once as part of the crew (I was the commander), and twice as part of mission control (orbiter systems officer, and launch gantry officer). Mission Control is BORING. You throw a couple of switches, and say "check", "nominal", and "go". That's it. If that's your idea of a good time, man...

      Obviously written by someone who's never had a real-world job.

    3. Re:I always thought ... by torpor · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dude the whole point of MMORPG's is to give Geeks something boring to do in the name of 'fun'.

      Sheesh. Where do you get your Geek Pride?

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    4. Re:I always thought ... by stinky+wizzleteats · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Really? Why? Have you ever watched NASA-TV? It's incredibly boring and tedious. Why would you want that? Why would you want to be one of the 20 that sit in mission control and monitor telemetry. There's no science. Nothing new. Nothing exciting.

      Orbiter does have time acceleration, and most sim-missions have only a handful of people involved. The real fun comes in when something goes wrong. In fact, most of the really fun missions start with that premise - e.g. - we have to rendezvous and dock with a disabled Soyuz module in 48 hours or the crew is dead. Getting the launch window right, and doing all of the necessary orbital maneuvering in time is actually rather challenging, to say nothing of the task of launching efficiently and getting into the right parking orbit. It takes an Orbiter noob some time before they get a fictional ship into orbit, and quite a bit longer before they get their first historical ship into space without crashing back into the sea/siberia.

      One of the most fun missions I had was a simulation of the Voyager flight (I took Voyager 2's path), using some of the more advanced navigation tools to set up the gravity assists.

    5. Re:I always thought ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Man, someone's a spoiled little brat. Space camp, twice. You slimy fuck. I wanted to go to Space camp throughout my entire youth, and if you caught me at the right age, I probably would've knifed someone like you for the opportunity to go. Quit being a turd and wrecking everyone else's fun...

      There may not be much to mission control, but it's a necesary function of real space travel as we know it today. No, a huge group of mission control folks may be overkill, but surely the of 40 mission control people could be done by one or two people in a simulation. It may not be as exciting as being the one doing the flying, but if you concentrate the work, I imagine it isn't the hell you make it out to be.

  6. Hypersleep? by SaintElmo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just what I always wanted! A simulated flight to Alpha Centauri. Only 43092850943275209384709632 days left to go!

    --
    these boxen have no names
  7. In space no one can hear you... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...fall asleep from the boredom.

  8. Isn't that a Shame by kalidasa · · Score: 2, Funny

    It will only run on Windows. And works best on Win98. It's like if the bare ceiling of the Sistine chapel had been made out of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese packets, and Michelangelo had painted his masterpiece on that.

  9. Space Que...aw, crap, nope by Strike · · Score: 1

    I was scanning through the articles really fast and I just saw the link labeled "Roger Wilco" (didn't see the headline) and the first thing I thought was "w00h00 Space Quest!" but then I remembered that other bit of software that involves that name. Ahhh.. Space Quest ... how I miss thee.

  10. Yes! by Tumbleweed · · Score: 1

    Originally I was going to say something along the lines of "interplanetary missions? In a SHUTTLE?", but then I checked out some of the graphics, and came across something amazing.

    Anything game that uses this spacecraft in it HAS to be good! Freaking awesome! Too bad it's only an 'add-on'. But _still_. The 2001 add-on is pretty great-looking, too.

    1. Re:Yes! by stinky+wizzleteats · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I like the Eagle. I made a version where the nose section can undock and land. You can find it at www.mciann.com/orbiter. It's Eagle version 1.02.

  11. Really good learning tool... by PjSunray · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'd think a program like this would offer a great opportunity for high school AP physics/math classes to get some hands on experience with the nitty-gritty details of orbital flight. You could setup a stepped curriculum of increasingly challenging missions/milestones, encourage teamwork to solve the problems, etc. I wouldâ(TM)ve loved something like this back in the dayâ¦

    Oh yes, and Iâ(TM)ve been running Orbiter on and off for the past couple of years. Very steep learning curve, but itâ(TM)s well worth it. Iâ(TM)ve spent hours tinkeringâ¦trying to get really good at establishing precise orbits, finding the ISS, docking (unsuccessfully).

    Finally, WRT WINEâ¦I did try it (a while ago), and it seemed to work like most of the other semi successful games Iâ(TM)ve triedâ¦i.e. it kinda worked, but was missing some functionality. Oh, FWIW, I was using WINEX 3.0.

    no sig :(

  12. Space Station Manager by Jouni · · Score: 1
    Somewhat related; while space flight simulation seems to be quite covered by the free software, plenty of folks might find the Space Station Simulator by Mistaril pretty compelling. It's not open source, but at $19.95, it's a steal.

    Support the shareware game development. :-)

    Cheers,

    Jouni

    --
    Jouni Mannonen | Game Designer, Consultant
  13. Karma Whoring by Picass0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If you dig the Shuttle Simulator, you also need to try Celestia (solar system/outer space simulator)