science

Yeah, that Kerbal Space Program. The little space flight simulator with the tiny green men. According to a profile in Polygon,

Beneath its childish surface lies a complex physics system churning through mathematical calculations so expertly, real rocket scientists would blush to see it. KSP has even earned the respect of NASA — many of its employees play it regularly.

These past few months the team at KSP and the team at NASA have developed a professional, although distant, relationship. And this year they will begin to work together.

Soon the Kerbals will embark on the next phase of space exploration, more than a decade before their real-life human analogues. NASA hopes to land humans on an asteroid by 2025. It's their most daring mission in a half century, and they've asked the small team of eight developers headquartered in Mexico City to help promote that mission through their game.