Space Avocados - Space Apps Challenge

Space Avocados| Breakthrough

Awards & Nominations

Space Avocados has received the following awards and nominations. Way to go!

Global Nominee

Breakthrough

Faster-than-light travel is the key to humanity’s dreams of inter-galactic space travel. Your challenge is to create an app, tool, game, or other interactive application that showcases both existing, as well as next generation/theoretical, breakthrough spacecraft propulsion in an engaging way.

An Interstellar Journey

Summary

An Interstellar Journey is a game that allows the player to pilot a spacecraft and travel through space with Earth as the starting point and the exoplanet HD 80653 b as the final destination.Along the way, the player will encounter some difficulties that must be overcome to reach the destination.The goal is to interest people in breakthrough spacecraft propulsion, using current and theoretical technology, making the relationship with science and science fiction. We also want to get people interested in STEAM in a fun and easy way.

How We Addressed This Challenge

We decided to address this challenge by developing a game that allows the player to experience space travel using different propulsion systems in a fun and educational way. For this we chose three types of propulsion systems that exist today (Chemical Propulsion, Ion Propulsion, Electric Sail (E-sail)) and a theoretical one (Warp).

As the player progresses get different types of fuel and unlocks the propulsion systems, a brief informative description of the type of propulsion system to use will be displayed.

With this game we seek to educate young people regarding space sciences and breakthrough propulsion so that they are encouraged to continue in STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and that they become aware of the importance of scientific and technological development in propulsion systems , to transform science fiction into reality and thus one day humanity will be able to make interstellar travel exceeding the speed of light.

How We Developed This Project

We were inspired by science fiction interstellar travel, so we decided to develop a game where we portray space travel in a realistic way, making use of science fiction to contrast with reality and also do it in a fun and educational way.

To carry out the project we use NASA's Eyes, unite game engine and C #, while for the artwork we use Photoshop.

The problem we had was that one of the team members lost his internet connection, but despite this difficulty we were able to carry out the project.

How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project

We use NASA's Eyes software to find and choose an exoplanet, know its information and be able to draw it to use it in our game.

We also use the Exoplanet Catalog for the same function.

To learn about the propulsion systems and to be able to develop the brief descriptions that we add in the game, we also use NASA and ESA pages as sources of information.

The data and information sources obtained from NASA and NASA's partner agencies for Space Apps 2020 helped us to add real and current information about the science and technology of Breakthrough Impulsion.

Project Demo

"An Interstellar Journey" is a game that allows you to play as a little alien that wants to escape from earth to go back to his home planet HD 80653. Sadly, the current earth technology is not enough for a fast journey so you must be careful about how you spend your resources. Dodge asteroids and mine them to gain upgrades.