Summary BOTEC is a simple astrophysical and orbital mechanics calculator, including a database of all named Solar System objects. Overview BOTEC is intended as a simple but useful calculator to assist with making astrophysical, orbital mechanics, and space navigation calculations. As the origin of the acronym applies, BOTEC is more of a "back-of-the-envelope calculator" rather than an industrial-strength calculator, although this may change in the future. BOTEC is primarily intended for people familiar with physics and Python, and as such is unlikely to be useful to the average enduser. BOTEC really consists of two parts: The BOTEC software, which knows what to do with the data, and the Solar System data itself, which is represented in a large data file (a Python pickle, actually). This is deliberately modularized so that the Solar System data BOTEC uses can be updated independently of thet software, and also that alternative data files (*e.g.*, hypothetical stellar systems for fictional purposes) can be supported. All values are strictly in SI units. Getting the software The current version of botec is 0.3. The latest version of the software is available in a tarball here: http://www.alcyone.com/software/botec/botec-latest.tar.gz. The official URL for this Web site is http://www.alcyone.com/software/botec/. Requirements BOTEC requires Python 2.3 or greater. In its present state, BOTEC will also not be of much use to endusers not familiar with Python, or people without some basic working knowledge of physics, astrophysics, orbital mechanics, and space navigation. License This code is released under the GPL. .... Release history [since 0.2] - 0.3, 2005 Jan 15. Separate transfers from maneuvers; support Oberth maneuvers. - 0.2.1, 2005 Jan 8. Various collected modifications. -- Erik Max Francis && max@alcyone.com && http://www.alcyone.com/max/ San Jose, CA, USA && 37 20 N 121 53 W && AIM erikmaxfrancis The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it. -- George Orwell