Solar Flare

https://gotm.io/sunthingy/solarflare

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz2wujq-kiQ

We have developed a 2D game to teach society about the journey of the magnificent Parker Solar Probe (PSP). Our game gives an experience to the users about the obstacles the satellite had to overcome. The game allows the user to move the PSP around and eventually reach the sun. At first, the player starts at our home planet, Earth. Then, the player navigates the probe to different checkpoints, such as Venus. There you learn about what the PSP did when it passed by Venus. Then, when the player reaches the sun, they will learn about the many dangers the PSP went through. After that, the player will be able to roam around and relearn about the PSP.

Our two main options for this challenge were a 2D game or a video animation. We chose a 2D game after discussing it with the team because we were not fully experienced with animation and video editing. We started with the development of a 2D space exploring game. We allowed the player to move around using the W, A, and D keys. This allows the player to move around the Sun, Venus, and Earth to figure out what happened at the major mission milestones. We started by using the game engine, Godot. This was something our team had the most interest in. Our team originally had three main plot events for the game as we decided the player would control a drivable space craft and follow the journey of the PSP. The three parts were driving, storytelling, and asteroids to add realism. 

We started by adding our planet pictures. Our team wanted a cartoonish vibe because it would be more difficult to draw a realistic looking planet. We gathered all of our photos, and then implemented them in a certain place in our game map. Then, we added space rocks that dealt damage because space is unpredictable and there was a chance that the PSP could have hit a rock which would have caused massive damage. We added interactions that when clicked, will teach about the specific mission event milestone. This information is pulled out of NASA’s provided resources and simplified for a younger audience to enjoy.

Link to Project Files:

https://github.com/xxSolarFlarexx/Solar-Flaare

Link to Godot Export HTML5:

https://github.com/xxSolarFlarexx/SolarExplorer

We did not use any Space Agency Data.

We are a group of six middle and high-school students who met through our mutual interest of the Parker Solar Probe’s incredible mission to “touch” the sun. We applied our skill sets of coding, game design, and storytelling. Our team, Solar Flare, realized the achievement of the Parker Solar Probe and decided to create a 2D game that educates a younger audience while they gain a significant amount of understanding of the mission. We initially struggled to encapsulate all of our great ideas into a shared vision that our team could realistically implement for younger audiences to enjoy, but later worked through the difficulties and improved on our teamwork. Our team had a really fun and informative experience during this Hackathon. We would also like to thank our parents and teacher Michael for their support throughout this project.

Youtube:

Why NASA's Parker Solar Probe swings by Venus:

www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dy91nNh0ZG9M&usg=AOvVaw34DT8qviHRe9YM6SdBmLmX

Websites:

NASA - Progressive Plant Growing is a Blooming Business

Parker Solar Probe: The Mission (jhuapl.edu)

Traveling to the Sun: Why Won’t Parker Solar Probe Melt? | NASA

NASA Enters the Solar Atmosphere for the First Time | NASA

Two important sources:

Here are some of the challenges of the solar weather/space environment that PSP faced on its journey:

Five Weird Things That Happen in Outer Space | NASA

Here are some of the discoveries/updates PSP made:

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Sheds New Light on the Sun | NASA

#sun #parkersolarprobe #space #NASA #space_exploration #gamedesign