History Space Exploration

This forum supports the Early Access Program for the PC for Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager (SPM). iOS, Android and Mac releases are still in development. SPM is the ultimate game of space exploration. It is the mid 1950s and the race for dominance between the US and the Soviet Union is about to move into a new dimension: space. Take charge of the US or Soviet space agencies - your duty is be the first to the moon. Carefully manage your budget by opening programs, spending R&D funds on improving the hardware, recruiting personnel and astronauts and launching space missions in this realistic turn based strategy game.

Moderator: MOD_BuzzAldrin

rommel222
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History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Looking forward to using BASPM as a lab component for my online history of space exploration course. I appreciate having the separate US and USSR program campaigns for my students to experience the difference in approaches to reaching the moon. The multiple platform availability is a plus for my college students too.
I hope there may be future modules at some point. I will use the History of Space Exploration by Tim Furness as the course textbook, though it is a bit dated but still gets the job done.
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CV60
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by CV60 »

Rommel-If you are interested, I have some ideas about how to use BASPM as a teaching aid. I wrote the historical descriptions with the idea of the Buzzopedia being used as part of a teaching curriculum. You can PM me if you want to discuss.
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” -Abraham Lincoln
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings CV60,
PM sent,
rommel222
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Nacho84
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by Nacho84 »

Hello rommel,

I'm very happy to learn that you're using SPM in an educational context! Teaching space history through the game was one of the main motivations when I started working on it eight years ago.

Please feel free to contact me via PM as well if there's anything you'd like to discuss.

Cheers,
Ignacio Liverotti
Lead Developer of Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager
Polar Motion

www.polar-motion.com
spm.slitherine.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PolarMotion
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Good Lunar Eclipse Evening Nacho84,
pm sent,
rommel222
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
In addition to using BASPM for the US & USSR moon missions, I will also employ the free Orbiter spaceflight simulator for space shuttle and space station missions afterward. This will give the students a good grounding in more recent history of manned space exploration. I will encourage students to use the free demo of Kerbal space program toward the end of the course as well. The main focus of the lab simulations will still be BASPM. I like the posted detailed AAR for teaching with BASPM and will follow it.

Off to college to teach Newton's 2nd Law in physics lab,
rommel222
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
What makes a corned beef sandwich contraband.
google contraband corned beef sandwich.

I am Irish and have had way more corned beef than I need. I hate it now as an old man
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
I will be using the 4 episode, BBC Space Race to introduce students to the U.S. and U.S.S.R. space programs.
Google bbc space race to view.
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
Registration has started this week for Spring 2016 classes. I hope to get enough students for the online History of Space Exploration with lab using BASPM. I limit online courses to 15 to keep them manageable using email communication. Each student will be a customer to purchase their copy of BASPM. They will be assigned to visit the forums, especially the AARs.

rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
Currently ESC 106/106L History of Space Exploration is 2/3 filled with future BASPM users in online lecture/lab. I have posted the matrixgames.com website for them to take advantage of the sale going on. [:)]
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
Hot Damn SpaceX! They launched Falcon rocket and re-landed it! This is spaceflight history!
Check it out:
http://www.space.com/31444-spacex-falco ... hotos.html
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
My History of Space Exploration course is filled for the Spring 2016 semester. [:)]
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Nacho84
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by Nacho84 »

That's great news! Hope your students like the game! Please share your experiences here in the forums :)

Cheers,
Ignacio Liverotti
Lead Developer of Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager
Polar Motion

www.polar-motion.com
spm.slitherine.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PolarMotion
Kalesin
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by Kalesin »

Great initiative, I also recommend you see the documentary series:

Quest Man's Journey Into Space

On Youtube you can find all chapters.
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings Kalesin,
Thank you for the alerting me to this series on space exploration. I was not aware of it. I will post for my students.

Kalesin
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by Kalesin »

If suggestions are accepted, in the game you can do multiplayer game against yourself (use password for the game)
Divide the class into two groups, one group lead NASA and the other Soviet Agency. Discuss among themselves who will use programs, that recruit astronauts, rockets, satellites, etc ...
Explain the mechanics of the game and you are going to manage the turns with their decisions.
Having competition that really are more interested in the history of the space race.
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings Kalesin,
I am always open to suggestions. The students are current playing/simulating the U.S. space program. This week they must launch Explorer & X-15. Next Week they must launch Mercury for manned space program. The following weeks will be Gemini program with Apollo to follow for moon landing. Then they will play/simulate the U.S.S.R. Soviet space program in the same fashion.
Afterward they will use multiplayer along the lines you suggest. CV-60 has developed some house rules to simulate effects of certain events/political pressures on the U.S. & U.S.S.R. space programs.
I am currently teaching/moderating three different online astronomy courses with three different online/computer labs. At almost 64 what was I thinking.[&:] I am up to my ankles...head first in work.
My students are just writing their first AARs and they make interesting reading and they receive a grade on them.

Oh well, back to grading but with a glass of hard cider
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
PBS will be showing a new program March 1, 2016 on the American Experience series.
It is called Spacemen, see the very short preview video:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperie ... /spacemen/
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
After 5 weeks of class & lab the students have used BASPM to R&D and launch Explorer 1, X-15, Mercury, Gemini. One student has launched Apollo and landed on the moon by 1969, The student AAR closed with: "EAT MY MOON DIRT Russians!"[:D]
Now they will defect to Russia and become heroes of the Soviet Union by launching U.S.S.R. campaign for Sputnik 1 & 2 to start.
Students, both male and female, find BASPM to have a moderate learning curve but they like the managerial aspect of the simulation. BASPM works well for the 90% of students that are business majors in the course. Some students expressed interest for an android version. All would like to see additional content or expansion for Space Shuttle and Space Stations.
rommel222
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RE: History Space Exploration

Post by rommel222 »

Greetings to All,
Tonight Wed March 2 PBS NOVA: First Man on the Moon focuses on Neil Armstrong at 9 pm E.S.T.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/firs ... -moon.html

Sorry for the last minute posting

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