One thing I didn't expect from Kerbal Space Program is getting emotionally connected to my probes. No, not the little green characters, but the craft I build and sent out. I've got one around the equivalent of Jupiter with no comms, so I'm launching relay probes to talk to it.
We have a former student of the school I work in who is now with the ESA and works on this stuff for real, keeps us updated. I'm getting a real insight into what things like JUICE mean to folk, personally.
Also, we're sending kids to university who already have a really solid grounding in orbital mechanics?! Because of a computer game? Fricking awesome.
@_thegeoff There's a mod that makes orbital dynamics consider bodies other than the closest one btw. (I haven't played with it yet, but a coworker seems to have high opinions about it.)
