I like how thorough the planet creation is--really scratches my astronomy itch. I almost feel like the research in the gameplay loop could decide the planet's characteristics, in a "we don't know where we landed" way, but that would be a different game. The news portion helps seed the pearl of roleplaying, which is something I feel too many GM-less games lack. Was it meant to look like a postcard? "Greetings from Solivago--wish you were here!"