When will version 3.0 be released?
The Macintosh version is expected to be released in mid 2001.

What’s the difference between the educational version and the space enthusiast version?
The primary difference is that the former includes a comprehensive teacher's guide.

I'm interested in using A-OK! in my classroom. Is there a teacher’s guide available?
The educational version of A-OK! 3.0 will have a comprehensive teacher's guide that will allow educators to create lesson plans for Physics, Biology, and other subjects from grades 5 through 12.

What are the new features of version 3.0?

1. Completely new 3-D graphics for both the control panel and window views.
2. Real orbital dynamics. Version 3.0 will allow you to vary booster thrust, weight and burn time and produces an ascent and orbit based on them.
3. Fully compiled software for much faster and more responsive simulation.
4. New stereo sound effects.
5. Auto CapCom gives realistic interaction with ground stations.
6. Mission save/restore capability.
7. Direct support for popular joysticks, including 3-axis models for realistic attitude control.
8. Mission Profile, Booster, Spacecraft and Astronaut Editors allow complete control over mission variables.
9. Mission Data Recorder and Strip Chart Graph Tool allows detailed analysis of each mission.
10. Astronauts will physiologically react to the mission based on their build and experience, allowing realistic consumption of oxygen and contamination of cabin air with sweat and heat.
11. Separate Mission Control Center simulator for networked simulations.
12. Educational version includes comprehensive teacher's guide.

How much will version 3.0 cost?
The single-user Space Enthusiast version will cost $59 US for the electronic version. A copy on CD will be $69 US. Cost for the educational versions have not yet been determined.

How much will it cost to upgrade to version 3.0?
All previous owners of A-OK! (any version) receive a credit to the new version.

Is there a demo version of A-OK!?

With the exception of a specially distributed demo version of 2.1.1, there is no demo available right now. After release, there will be a trial version available with some sort of limit that has not yet been decided.

Why did you decide to simulate the Mercury spacecraft instead of Gemini or Apollo?
When I first had the idea of creating a spacecraft simulator (in 1983!), I was firm in wanting to produce something that was so real that every switch and fuse worked exactly as the original did. I wanted to be able to pick up the original checklists and use them with the simulator. I did look at shuttle, lunar module and Gemini simulators, but they were just too complex for the computers of the day and were way too complicated to operate if simulated realistically.

Mercury was popularized by the movie “The Right Stuff” (even though I think they did a horrible job of mocking up the capsule and portrayed the astronauts and engineers as idiots-sorry, it bugs me) and was designed to operate automatically, if required. In a nutshell, a reasonably intelligent person, with some study, could actually operate the Mercury spacecraft.

Will A-OK! be released for Windows?
A-OK! 3.0, is being completely rewritten with cross-platform operation in mind. We are currently planning to release the Windows version of 3.0 about four-six months after the Mac OS release. We have already done a few Windows software builds with good results.