14 Are there any space simulators? (PC-Based Flight Simulators)
Description
This article is from the Flight Simulators FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Bob Wittick rwittick@msu.edu others.
14 Are there any space simulators? (PC-Based Flight Simulators)
Virgin produces a simulator simply entitled "Shuttle". It is by far
one of the most complex, detailed, and realistic simulators available
for the PC, Amiga, and Atari ST.
Another, older, program, called "Orbiter", is available for Mac
systems.
Microsoft's Space Simulator is a more recent entry into the space
simulator product set. It was written by BAO, the designers of
Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Nick Dargahi writes:
Space Simulator is the most advanced and complex simulation program
ever created for the PC. The program combines the awesome photo-realistic
graphics engine of Flight Simulator 5.0 with a newly created orbital
dynamics simulation, so that you can actually recreate the motion of
spacecraft in outer space. Spacecraft can rotate and move in three
dimensions, planets can rotate along their axes and move in their
assigned orbits. Well-known comets, such as Halley's, Swift-Tuttle,
Kohoutek, and West are plotted accurately, as are some of the larger
asteroids of the solar system. Twenty-one nearby star systems have
been recreated with imaginary planetary systems that you can visit with
your spacecraft. It is also possible to take intergalactic trips to
visit 21 deep space objects, including galaxies, nebulae, star clusters,
and black holes. Because even at light speed, or 300,000,000 meters per
second (186,000 miles per second), journeys of such vast distances can
take thousands of years, Space Simulator gives you the option of
accelerating and decelerating the passage of time. This means that
you can fly to the heart of the our Milky Way Galaxy and return to Earth
in time for lunch.
Other features of the program include: choice of spacecraft and space
stations astronomical observatory, external chase and internal
cockpit 3-D view windows with auto-tracking and panning capabilities,
video recordings/ space photographs/ situation recorder, autopilot,
flight computer to link together autopilot commands, and both
space shuttle and Apollo 17 LEM landing missions. [-Nick Dargahi]
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