Is nobody else playing this? It's a nerdy physics simulation in which you build rockets and send your astronauts to various celestial bodies, just because. I have had a ball trying to rescue poor Jebediah from an eternity wandering the cold, lifeless steppes of the Mun.
I haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time. I highly recommend it. Especially for those of you with a casual interest in physics/rocketry. A warning, the learning curve is steep, but there are lots of resources to help you through it.
I've been meaning to try it. I'd made the mistake of checking to see if Civ V still ran...when that runs out I'll give it a go.
And welcome back, Jon. )
I think my sister in-law's boyfriend has been playing that religiously. He tried getting me into it...it looked scary and like another time sink I didn't need. :) So I ran the other way.
Not quite as pretty as in KSP, but real. The view from the Juno spacecraft as it uses the Earth for a slingshot, apparently the first real view of the earth-moon system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzBlSXgzqI
So while watching football I decided to make a quick trip to Minmus, as I am wont to do when killing time. The rocket I built for the purpose was overkill, and my 2nd to last stage still had a ton of fuel as I was ready to land. Rather than waste precious fuel, Jebediah decided to save it.
screenshot0.png
Who needs landing gear? A controlled descent and landing at <2 m/s and you can land right on your nuclear engine.
Even Jeb is impressed.
screenshot3.png
All that extra fuel allowed for some extra orbital maneuvering on the way home.
screenshot5.png
screenshot7.png
screenshot8.png
"I, Jebediah Kerbin do hereby claim this uninhabited wasteland in the name of Kerbal Space Progr.....errrr. Wait. Nevermind. I think I'll just go have a shower."