SSVG (Solar System Voyager)

The science behind movies such as Interstellar or A Space Odyssey surely startles a lot of astronomy aficionados. Space travel, albeit still in its crude infancy, is something to ponder about, or even study. And what better way to understand the particulars of such an endeavor than by performing orbital trajectory simulations and crunching the numbers… This is exactly what SSVG (Solar System Voyager) will allow its users to do.

Although users will need to have some basic knowledge about celestial bodies and general physics, since this is a simulation app, inputting the “wrong numbers” will yield strange results.

Nevertheless, setting a name and, more importantly, mass for the space probe are one of the first steps. A starting base can be selected from predefined ones, such as Earth or Jupiter and, last but not least, a target, which again, can be selected from the default planet list, or defined as a custom small body.

Having set the preferred probe characteristics and target, one can then proceed and alter the corresponding parameters, which are numerous to say the least. Ranging from more “mellow” ones, such as the distance from the Sun, and up to more complex, perihelion passage values.

A 3D graph will then depict the resulting trajectory, complete with orbits for the selected planets. For those who wish to go even one step further, a dedicated control panel for the orbit parameters allows for even more customization.

Great program for those who wish to perform space travel simulations from the comfort of their laptop or PC. Not only does it exude with parametrization, but SSVG (Solar System Voyager) will allow even novices to get a grasp about what space travel and its characteristics is all about.