Editing 1356: Orbital Mechanics
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | [[Randall]] roughly plots how high school physics, undergraduate-level physics and a job at {{w|NASA}} somewhat increased his knowledge of {{w|orbital mechanics}}. But this learning was apparently nothing compared to the "direct" experience of playing | + | [[Randall]] roughly plots how high school physics, undergraduate-level physics and a job at {{w|NASA}} somewhat increased his knowledge of {{w|orbital mechanics}}. But this learning was apparently nothing compared to the "direct" experience of playing with the {{w|Kerbal Space Program}}, a rocket building and piloting {{w|open world|sandbox game}}. |
− | Orbital mechanics can be somewhat counterintuitive. The art of changing orbits involves relative velocities, positions, and times in complex interactions. As soon as you try deviating from a perfectly regular orbit, or start having to deal with {{w|N-body problem}}s and {{w|orbital | + | Orbital mechanics can be somewhat counterintuitive. The art of changing orbits involves relative velocities, positions, and times in complex interactions. As soon as you try deviating from a perfectly regular orbit, or start having to deal with {{w|N-body problem}}s and {{w|orbital resonances}}, you have to coordinate your movements in possibly in counterintuitive ways. One example is just, if you want to reach an object ahead of you at the same orbit you have to brake to reach a lower orbit. At that lower orbit your velocity is faster and you can overtake that object in front. After that maneuver you have to accelerate for increasing your orbit high and reducing your speed matching your target. |
− | At the title text Randall admits that at the time when he did work at NASA he was not involved in orbital | + | At the title text Randall admits that at the time when he did work at NASA he was not involved in orbital mechanics — which is also true for the most other NASA employees — but everybody was talking about this without a significant increase of knowledge. |
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+ | See also: | ||
+ | * [[1244: Six Words]] ("it works in Kerbal Space Program" it is not good argument for NASA) | ||
+ | * [[1106: ADD]] ("land a rocket on the moon in Kerbal Space Program" was a task finished) | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:There is a small amount of decrease until a gradual bump in the graph labeled "Actual Job At NASA". | :There is a small amount of decrease until a gradual bump in the graph labeled "Actual Job At NASA". | ||
:It gradually decreases to pre-NASA levels, but then begins to increase exponentially. The annotation reads "Started Playing Kerbal Space Program". | :It gradually decreases to pre-NASA levels, but then begins to increase exponentially. The annotation reads "Started Playing Kerbal Space Program". | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Charts]] |
[[Category:Space]] | [[Category:Space]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Video games]] |