Orbital Mechanics 101

I've created a brief tutorial on the basics of orbital mechanics, for non-technical viewers. It's intended for users of Kerbal Space Program, but it would be informative for anyone with an interest in spaceflight.

A trip to the Mun and Back!

Using KSP v0.15.2 I demonstrate a successful flight from Kerbin to its inner moon (which they call the Mun).

Each phase of the mission is explained in fair detail in the hope helping new players learn the basics.

The spacecraft is my own design, the smallest rocket I've devised for getting to the Mun and back. Write me a note if you'd like the spacecraft file!

Lunar Flight now available on Steam

Shovsoft's Lunar Flight is available on Steam, finally, and it's on sale for $7.99 until 4/17. If you enjoyed the old arcade game Lunar Lander, and would like to play it in 3D, this game might appeal to you. Here's their promo video:

I made a couple of tutorial videos during the beta period, like this one showing a simple hop to another base.

The Chase by Phillipe Gamer

The Chase from Philippe Gamer on Vimeo.

Just...wow. Makes me want to play some Trackmania 2!

The City of Samba

The City of Samba from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

This is a remarkable tilt-shift treatment of Rio de Janeiro. These people know how to put on a parade.

Eyes Wide Shut

A friend of mine once said an important difference between fantasy novels and our mundane reality is that our woods do not have giant, man-eating spiders in them. Eyes Wide Shut is about a man who learns there are, indeed, giant spiders lurking in our world.

This film is not for everyone. It builds with a kind of deliberate, glacial speed (this is Kubrick, after all)...and then takes the most incredible left turn, a plot twist that left me gasping and helpless to tear my eyes from the screen. I had come to this film expecting a self-indulgent swan-song, but what I got was nothing short of a masterpiece.

Buy it, rent it, see it on Netflix, or whatever. But see it.

Once you've seen it, here's a wonderful analysis of the film to savor. And another, slightly more esoteric, deconstruction which overreaches a bit, but still offers some clever insights.

Zoe Jakes performing to Beats Antique

The music, and the dance, are a perfect blend of the familiar and strange. I'd definitely go see these people perform live. And do check out their website!