Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

“It is the year 2014 AD. Seemingly, space has become our front garden. Messages of extraterrestrial life, written in foreign systems, appear on our screens just as regularly as our capable puzzologists decrypt them. Even pictures of stars reach us and no matter how blurry these are, our experts are able to determine the shape of the foreign galaxies. So we've begun to feel familiar with the vastness of the sky, but truth be told, major parts of space have never been explored.

Hence we decided to start a new programme to map space. Firstly we concern ourselves with our own galaxy, the Milky Way, by sending manned space probes to its darker corners. You are a star puzzologist and I entrust you with the investigation of the two sectors 23C and 23F.

Here is a map of sector 23C. You will plan a route passing every cell of the sector, except of course those cells with unidentified objects. Don't waste fuel visiting the same cell several times, that's too expensive. Mind that the space probe has to return to its starting point, we don't need bad news on missing probes!

On the map you see all objects labelled with numbers: the higher the number, the more interesting the object. Make sure that every object is adequately explored. The space probe has to visit the eight surrounding cells as often as the object's number indicates. Remember that the gravity of a star bends the course of a space probe passing its cell in a right angle. Plus, the probe accelerates and keeps straight on in the following cell. You can use these gravitational turns to save fuel. As always, this programme raised expectations that are much higher than our budget is.

The chief engineer drew a sketch of a very little sector to show you in which form she needs your results. You will find it attached to the map of your sector. Did you get everything? Well then. I expect a sketch of your route on my desk as soon as possible.”