Using Video Games to Teach Kepler's Laws and Orbital Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper explores using the video game Kerbal Space Program to teach Kepler's laws and orbital dynamics, enhancing student understanding through practical, interactive simulations that are otherwise difficult to demonstrate physically.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates how KSP can be integrated into astronomy education to improve understanding of orbital mechanics and provides practical examples of its application in teaching.

Findings

Students develop better intuition about orbits.

KSP effectively supplements traditional teaching methods.

Enhanced engagement and understanding in astronomy courses.

Abstract

Physics instructors often rely on demonstrations when teaching, using real-time examples to appeal to student intuition or tinkering with a physical system to develop a deeper and more natural understanding of a topic. However, some subjects, like Kepler's laws of planetary motion, are impractical to demonstrate at a human scale, and when reality proves difficult, it is often easier to move to simulations and video games. In particular, using video games in the classroom benefits student learning and allows students to learn practical information that they can transfer to the real world. The video game Kerbal Space Program (KSP) is notable for its commitment to accurate simulation of rockets and orbits, allowing players to explore the in-game solar system with their Kerbal astronauts only if they have mastered the laws of orbital dynamics. In my personal experience, I gained a better intuition about orbits during my years playing KSP than I did in graduate school, a common sentiment within the KSP community. I use KSP in my college introductory astronomy courses to make Kepler's laws more tactile with demonstrations and projects, developing intuition on advanced aspects of rocket science through experiments that are otherwise impractical at interplanetary scales.