Sierra Outpost

I found myself thinking today about a game I used to play when I was about 8 years old. It was a tough game, that started with the certainty that earth was going to be destroyed, and you had to prepare the rocket that was going to a far planet in another solar system to colonize. But first you had to send probes to check stars for habitable planets. If you picked poorly, game over, humanity dies. Even if you pick well, you are stuck on an inhospitable planet living underground searching for mineral deposits and desperately trying to keep humanity alive through disease, disaster, and rebellion.

At least, that's what it was supposed to be. Ultimately, it didn't have half the features it promised and it was buggy as hell. But still I loved that game and spent way to much time on it. The idea of controlling the last hope for humanity, trying to wrestle with an atmosphere that was ill suited for any life, eventually figuring it out, terraforming the planet, it captured my wonder in a way no game ever has. I was so excited for outpost 2, but it turned out to be a sub par starcraft rip off. I mean, I played it until I finished it, but it didn't have that same wonder. It was command and conquer in space with a tech tree. Age of empires on Mars.

So I was wondering if anyone else here remembers this game, if anyone played another game like it that they could recommend. Something complex and difficult and stimulating. Sandbox and colonization. Is there anything like the original Outpost out there?