Space Engine

[SRV Ron]

For those that are not rocket engineers, want to explore other solar systems, travel at warp speed, and go where no Kerbal has gone before, there is Space Engine - a free space simulation program that lets you explore the universe in three dimensions, from planet Earth to the most distant galaxies. Areas of the known universe are represented using actual astronomical data, while regions uncharted by astronomy are generated procedurally. Millions of galaxies, trillions of stars, countless planets - all available for exploration. You can land any planet, moon or asteroid and watch alien landscapes and celestial phenomena. You can even pilot starships and atmospheric shuttles.

http://en.spaceengine.org/ (be sure to watch the videos. Also, look up Scott Manley one hour evaluation of his adventures with this sim)

Will this sim replace KSP? No, it is designed for pure exploration of the universe, not constructing space ships and learning how to fly them.

Plan to waste hours exploring on your own. This was my first views where the sim randomly started me out at a Class M planet with one moon in a binary star system.

BTW Version 0.9.7.1 is a free but very large download.

Edited January 14, 2014 by SRV Ron
Added link

[SRV Ron]

Their latest video. (Be sure to go full screen.)

[crazyewok]

If you could combine this with KSP and add alien life you could interact with good and bad I would pay £1000 right here and now. No joke.

[Motokid600]

Love space engine..But I.. cannot.. stand.. the controls.

[SRV Ron]

Love space engine..But I.. cannot.. stand.. the controls.

They take some getting used to.

As promised, some screenshots of the surface of that Class M planet which ranges from deserts to mountains;

[Motokid600]

Holy crap. Is that stock?

[SRV Ron]

Holy crap. Is that stock?

And, the clouds are animated, moving, as well.

They even move across the planet when you speed up time. (Blue Gas Giant.)

Scorched tiny planet orbiting one of the binary stars. (The other star, much brighter, is lighting the surface not facing the star pictured.)

BTY, every star you see in the background is individually tracked in 3-D and can be flown to. Many have planetary systems. You can even fly to the galaxies, clusters, etc... and visit their individual stars and planetary systems.

All the known cataloged stars are tracked, the unknown ones, and the unknown galaxies and their stars, are generated using a seeded random number generator. That way, they are always in the same location no matter when you or someone else runs this sim. Planet, moon, asteroid, surfaces work the same way.

Edited January 15, 2014 by SRV Ron

[Motokid600]

I have been toying around with this and it is absolutely mind blowing. I discovered shift-D and now im in love lol. I just wish there was a way to increase the LoD distance.

[SRV Ron]

I have been toying around with this and it is absolutely mind blowing. I discovered shift-D and now im in love lol. I just wish there was a way to increase the LoD distance.

Some shots from the Globular Cluster near the Milky Way.

On another planet surface;

Left click on a star or object to get the info, then select Go To Object from the right click menu.

[Cesrate]

I'm sticking in it right now... As 0.97.1 really get a good point... And it's the closest one to Infinity, with procedural generated celestial bodies and relatively realistic physics...

And... Shut up and take my money! http://en.spaceengine.org/index/funding_and_donations/0-26

Oops, I have no credit card, only debit card....

All in 5512×3120, except for the auto-compressed one...

Edited January 16, 2014 by Cesrate

[Bekiekutmoar]

Neat simulation ... ! Doesn't offer the excellent gameplay of KSP but the Visuals are astounding. Here a moon around a gas giant, the gas giant itself orbits a blue subgiant around 110 parsecs from our Solar System.

[Hedd]

The most recent update smoothed out camera movement and fixed a lot of the jerkiness of the controls. Many of the planetary textures seem to load smoother too (and less crashing is also a plus). I ended up showing this to a friend and while were were putting around Andromeda he asked me why Kerbal wasn't using something like this. While I'm not a coder and completely unfamiliar with Unity's innards, my initial response was something to do with collision mapping every planet. It did make me curious to what the core difference between the two the prevents Kerbal from expanding in the same scale, particularly considering Kerbal focuses primarily on the area around the ship for it's rendering and effects.

[Motokid600]

The most recent update smoothed out camera movement and fixed a lot of the jerkiness of the controls. Many of the planetary textures seem to load smoother too (and less crashing is also a plus). I ended up showing this to a friend and while were were putting around Andromeda he asked me why Kerbal wasn't using something like this. While I'm not a coder and completely unfamiliar with Unity's innards, my initial response was something to do with collision mapping every planet. It did make me curious to what the core difference between the two the prevents Kerbal from expanding in the same scale, particularly considering Kerbal focuses primarily on the area around the ship for it's rendering and effects.

Give modders access to a 64bit/Multi_core/HDR unity and KSP will achieve SpaceEngine visuals. Atleast close to it id say.