Space Station Sims

Just by chance today, I stumbled on two different space station simulations, ShortHike and SpaceStationSim (SSS). I haven't played with these myself, too busy right now (they are both commercial programs with demos available). But in the spirit of "let a thousand space programs bloom" - space related simulations that emphasize different aspects of space can only help by getting more people interested - I decided to write about them now.

Since I haven't played with them, I'll keep it short. All I can say from the web sites is that both have good-looking graphics and support space station building (ShortHike is more general, allowing you to build large and complex stations, while SSS is more about the ISS). SSS seems to have a lot of crew management features and looks very much like "The Sims in Space."

The graphic above is linked from ShortHike's on-line tour. If you have an interest in space but the orbital mechanics side isn't your cup of tea, maybe you'll enjoy one of these sims.