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March 14: Update 20.5.2 is a small update that fixes a few bugs, including problems with volume settings and camera control.
Update 20.5 features:
- A Tesla Roadster in Space
- The Ultimate Engineered System
- An Upgrade of Our Game Engine to Unity 2017.2
This is a small update in terms of content, but there have been some significant under-the-hood changes with the upgrade of our game engine to Unity 2017.2. As with past under-the-hood changes, it’s a sign we’ve transitioned well if you can’t see any differences.
But also: there’s a car in space! (And conversely, this car doesn’t even have an engine under its hood.) On February 6, 2018, SpaceX performed a successful test launch of their Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful rocket currently in use. The launch was intended as a demonstration of the Falcon Heavy’s ability to launch a payload into an orbit that could reach Mars. SpaceX also successfully landed two of the Falcon Heavy's reusable booster engines, although the central core crashed during its attempted landing.
As part of the test, the Falcon Heavy rocket carried a dummy payload to demonstrate that it could launch a large mass onto the required orbit. For this launch, SpaceX chose an unusual dummy payload: a Tesla Roadster electric car belonging to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In a press statement released before the launch, SpaceX explained that it wanted a payload that was "fun and without irreplaceable sentimental value." While the Roadster will not land on or orbit Mars, its current elliptic orbit around the Sun will take it beyond the orbit of Mars at its farthest point.
Check out the Roadster sims in Universe Sandbox ²:
- Home > Open > Tesla Roadster in Space
- Home > Open > Where in Space is the Tesla Roadster
Update 20.5 also includes a database refresh for objects in our Solar System, a few other new sims (including the Ultimate Engineered System), improved supernova visuals, and a number of smaller improvements and bug fixes.
Check out the full list of What’s New in Update 20.5
We are making great progress on Update 21, but we unfortunately can’t provide a release date yet. Update 20.5 is just a step on the way to make sure everything is running smoothly. Thank you for your patience while we continue to work on Planet Grids and Lasers!
The Ultimate Engineered System, as described by astronomer Sean Raymond
