Is there anyone from NASA here?

[Jackissimus]

I often read on steam and reddit and youtube that KSP is quite popular with NASA employees. I have to say I am kinda doubtful that NASA employees would be interested in a game simulating something that is really their job. You know ... when I come home I want to wind down a bit ...

So if there's anyone from NASA, could you reply and maybe say why you became interested in the game?

[LameLefty]

"NASA" isn't any one job - it's thousands of employees (engineers, scientists, technicians, managers, accountants, lawyers, clerks, janitors ...) working for a very small (in the grand scheme of things) U.S. Government agency. Their jobs are all different. The Agency itself has missions ranging from aerodynamics research to rocket engine development to space flight operations to aviations operations ... whatever.

Why is it all unreasonable to think some of them might enjoy KSP?

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

I heard a guy from JPL is on the forums, I don't know his name though

[boxman]

They had a guy from JPL during the marathon stream before .18 release if i remember correctly.

And people from NASA are just regular people as well. And since they do this as job, i would imagine some of them would find such games entertaining as well.

[Anton P. Nym]

Penny Arcade spoke with a guy from JPL about the game. I suspect that article will speak to the question of "why".

-- Steve

[regex]

I have to say I am kinda doubtful that NASA employees would be interested in a game simulating something that is really their job. You know ... when I come home I want to wind down a bit ...

Considering that actual rocket science and KSP rocket science are pretty much completely different (even from an "outsider looking in" perspective), I can't see why a NASA employee wouldn't enjoy playing KSP to "wind down".

[razark]

So if there's anyone from NASA, could you reply and maybe say why you became interested in the game?

Because spaceflight is awesome?

"NASA" isn't any one job - it's thousands of employees (engineers, scientists, technicians, managers, accountants, lawyers, clerks, janitors ...) working for a very small (in the grand scheme of things) U.S. Government agency.

Yeah, that. Not everyone is a rocket scientist. Most of the people who work "at" NASA don't even work "for" NASA. Contractors outnumber Civil Servants by quite a bit.

And people from NASA are just regular people as well.

LIES! EVIL FILTHY LIES!

[Jackissimus]

Penny Arcade spoke with a guy from JPL about the game. I suspect that article will speak to the question of "why".

-- Steve

Great article! Ok, this cleared it up a little:

“It's why racing drivers like racing games…no real responsibility,†Ellison said. “Time to go a little crazy. Some of the engineering principles are very sound within KSP, but you can go just a little bit crazy. Everyone who works in and around the fields of science and engineering has a thousand crazy ideas they've thought of but would never try in real life. KSP is a place where maybe, in Kerbal's unique way, you can give them a try.â€Â

And this is quite a something:

“The only thing that would make this week complete, and you may or may not know about this game, is if the developers of a game called Kerbal Space Program showed up. Half of JPL is playing that game right now,â€Â

I wonder if Harvester knows and whether he would like to meet them I think it could make the game even more realistic if there was some contact with JPL.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Jackissimus

[LameLefty]

Yeah, that. Not everyone is a rocket scientist. Most of the people who work "at" NASA don't even work "for" NASA. Contractors outnumber Civil Servants by quite a bit.

Good point. A long time ago, when I was a junior engineer with a major aerospace contractor located in Huntsville, and I had a Redstone Arsenal pass to get to and from the NASA facilities at MSFC. So while I didn't work "for" or "at" NASA, I was "at NASA" routinely and interacted with lots of NASA people.

[Diche Bach]

“It's why racing drivers like racing games…no real responsibility,†Ellison said. “Time to go a little crazy. Some of the engineering principles are very sound within KSP, but you can go just a little bit crazy. Everyone who works in and around the fields of science and engineering has a thousand crazy ideas they've thought of but would never try in real life. KSP is a place where maybe, in Kerbal's unique way, you can give them a try.â€Â

I'm an anthropologist and Civilization was by far my favorite game for many years. Nothing quite like leading the technocratic progressive democratic society of the Aztecs to glory, building Notre Dame, the Hagia Sophia, the Sistine Chapel, United Nations and Space Race and then launching a surprise thermonuclear attack to destroy your nemesis the evil and warlike Ghandi, fascist dictator of the Indians.

[Aqua667]

Technically anyone that works for a NASA contractor "works" for NASA, so anyone from Boeing Lockheed Martin, JPL, etc. technically works for NASA

[LameLefty]

Technically anyone that works for a NASA contractor "works" for NASA, so anyone from Boeing Lockheed Martin, JPL, etc. technically works for NASA

Not true. Pay and benefits come from the contractor, not the government. If you are employed by any sort of government contractor, you have to be doing work ON THE CONTRACT itself, not overhead, not personal time like vacation or sick time, not company-specific training, etc. The NASA contracting people and GAO are pretty strict about things like and they routinely audit contractor time records to the extent they would come in several times a year unannounced and verify our daily time sheets. We had different time codes we had to use depending on whether we were doing stuff that could legally be charged to the contract or not. Most of it was chargeable but some of it was not. If we billed the wrong code knowingly, it's a fireable offense and potentially one that the government would prosecute you for.

[razark]

Technically anyone that works for a NASA contractor "works" for NASA, so anyone from Boeing Lockheed Martin, JPL, etc. technically works for NASA

Depends on how you define "work for". There are also people that work for contractor companies that are not directly involved in agency work. Individual companies' HR departments or IT workers, for example. Some employees even have to track whether they are doing agency or company work at any specific time.

Edit:

What he said.

Edited August 15, 2013 by razark

[Denks]

My dad is the Associate Director of Engineering Systems at NASA. One of his bosses told him about KSP, and he told me. That's how I found out about it.

[RainDreamer]

That is some amazing necro post.

[LordFerret]

My uncle worked for / did some work for NASA a long, long time ago. He also co-authored a book called "How Far A Star?", in conjunction with NASA, for teaching kids in school... it's no longer in print. He sits here with me daily, our evening coffee chit-chat, and watches me build and launch. Does that count?

I've mentioned this in these forums before - my other uncle (his oldest brother, RIP) was the guy who designed the illuminated zero-G toggle switch (Daven Corp.) used in the Apollo series capsules ... I had stated they were used in the Gemini series as well in my first mention, but have since learned that was incorrect (so correction is served here).

I also used to work with a guy who had been a QC inspector for two of the shuttles built (1st and 3rd). Engineers are a strange breed of being. So are programmers... that's my excuse. lol

[Norpo]

That is some amazing necro post.

I'd imagine it's still relevant though; NASA hasn't gotten completely wiped out of existence, nor has KSP, so..

[Navy4422]

Please watch post dates if you feel like the topic is still relevant please start a new thread