To solve the Chronicles of Exoplanet Exploration Challenge, we decided to compile the information available on known exoplanets in our galaxy into a graphic and interactive game, creating EXO’s Odyssey.

In the video game, the player will encounter a 3D generated environment emulating the Universe, where they can delve into more than 5,700 completely playable registered exoplanets. The game dynamics start with the user being located inside of a starship, right above the Earth’s orbit, free to go in every direction in the search for exoplanets; then, they can click in a star to obtain a brief description on its planetary system, to follow up with selecting a planet to do “tests” in. Right after, the landing sequence begins. The simulation comes with an automated landing protocol so as to minimize complexity and ensure the probe is landed safely in order to continue. Once on the planet, the user will now be operating a rover, directly interacting with the terrain, as the more they see, the more information they will encounter. After traveling all along the available area, a survey will pop up, asking the player if the planet is habitable or not; if they answer correctly, they would have completed the mission, this means that the information obtained will be enrolled in the Catalog and they can go back to space, to continue wandering; if the reply is incorrect, the data will be considered lost and the task array must be repeated to obtain it.

In order to guide the player into the motion of the video game and complex concepts, a character was added as the “AI” of the rocket. The “AI”, Exo-6, interacts through speech bubbles offering explanations regarding game controls and objectives. It also provides context and important information regarding the classification of exoplanets and some methods of identifying exoplanets. This addition will provide the user with a more interactive experience in a way that does not interrupt with the flow of the game.

We used the game engine Unity to create the program and coded the game using the programming language C#. The team developed its own physics simulation engine, terrain generation system, and Star View. The data for position and parameters of star systems and planets was modeled after the data found in NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

A rover was initially planned for the surface activities; however, it will be implemented in the future for other prompts that will require the user to move around the planet’s terrain. For further development of the platform, we would like to include an advanced maneuver system, a more comprehensive and detailed roster of mission objectives, and in surface experiments to provide a more complete overview of exoplanet data.

EXO’s Odyssey offers both a fun and educational experience for free. It will provide the audience, Middle and High School students, with interesting information and improvement in their analysis abilities throughout their self-directed journey in the Universe’s simulation. With this project we hope to share our passion for science and engineering, topics that fill us with joy and wonder as college students in these fields, with the younger generation; grant an opportunity to everyone with access to a computer, to live the spectacle of the Universe in first person.

2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge

Cosmos Unity