posted 03-12-2013 12:25 AM               

About Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal Space Program is a multi-genre game where the players create their own space program.

In KSP, you must build a space-worthy craft, capable of flying its crew out into space, without killing them. At your disposal is a collection of parts, which must be assembled to create a functional ship. Each part has its own function and will affect the way a ship flies (or doesn't). So strap yourself in, and get ready to try some Rocket Science!

Main Features:

• The Vehicle Assembly Building and the Space Plane Hangar allows players to build spacecraft out of any imaginable combination of parts.
  
• Fully-fledged, Physics-based Flight Simulation ensures everything will fly (and crash) as it should.
  
• Take your Kerbal crew out of the ship and do Extra Vehicular Activities
  
• Fly out to Moons and other Planets
  
• Procedural Terrain delivers detailed terrain at a vast scale. The Kerbal Planet is 600km in radius!
  
• Mod-enabled, allows players to create new content and modify the game.
  
• Ship systems. Keep an eye out for engine temperatures and fuel levels, and try not to explode.
  
• Build ships with multiple stages, and jettison parts away as they burn out.
  
• Full control over the staging sequence allows for complex ships and advanced functionality.

Planned Features:

• Take on Missions to attract interest in your Space Program. Or use the Mission Planner to create your own missions.
  
• Manage your Space Program. Hire astronauts, train them, research and improve parts.
  
• Build Space Stations, and surface bases on other worlds.
  
• And a whole lot more!

KSP is still under development, so many things are not yet as they should be. We are working hard to be constantly improving the game however, and it will be regularly updated with bug fixes and new content, so make sure to check back for new versions. We are also always listening to feedback from the players, and we welcome ideas and suggestions.

Currently the game is being built as an open sandbox. There are no objectives yet. You're free to build anything you can think of, and fly it wherever you want, even into orbit.

The demo version is free to download and play, and will remain so forever. During development, the game is available for purchase at a discounted price, which we will gradually increase up to its final retail price as the game nears completion. So by ordering early, you get the game for a lot less, and you'll get all future updates for free.

Have Fun! — The KSP Team

posted 03-06-2014 09:42 AM               

Kerbal Space Program To Add NASA Asteroid Redirect Mission to Game

The Planet Kerbin has a new partner in the exploration of its solar system. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has joined forces with Kerbal Space Program to create Kerbal Space Program: Asteroid Redirect Mission, a special update that adds realistic NASA rocket parts and missions to the award-winning indie space agency sim game.

The mission shares the same name as the three-part mission which started in 2013 and is currently projected to be completed in 2022 with a manned mission onto an orbiting asteroid beyond the Moon. Kerbal Space Program and NASA will share the stage at SXSW Gaming on Saturday at 12:30 in the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Tex. The panel will offer the first look at the in-game mission as well as discuss the process of taking a real mission that is still highly conceptual and assembling it in Kerbal Space Program.

"Kerbal Space Program is about giving gamers the chance to dream big, even if they're not astrophysicists. This relationship with NASA, the very beacon of big dreams and imagination, is going to give players a real opportunity to learn about the universe we're living in," Kerbal Space Program lead developer Felipe Falanghe said. "The Asteroid Redirect Mission is going to be one of the rewarding and challenging accomplishments in all of gaming. We can't wait to see our current and future players take on this mission and perhaps, teach NASA a few tricks along the way."

The mission mirrors NASA's real operation in many ways. Namely, players will tackle the same three steps as NASA:

• Identify: Detect, target, distinguish and select the asteroids that you want to move
  
• Redirect: Build a rocket ship and set course to intercept the moving asteroid, then position your ship to redirect the asteroid's trajectory
  
• Research: Send your Kerbals on EVA (extravehicular activity) around the asteroids to conduct experiments on the object and gather valuable scientific data as it (and you) hurtle through deep space

"The collaboration with Kerbal Space Program can help drive interest by future explorers in next-generation technology development and deep space exploration, said Bob Jacobs, deputy associate administrator for Communications at NASA. "Having an element of the experience based in the reality of NASA's exploration initiatives empower players to manage their own space program while getting valuable insight into the reality of studying asteroids as a next step in getting to Mars."

Nearly a dozen new parts, including the game's biggest fuel tanks, will help players tackle what is the most ambitious NASA mission to date. Another new part is the robotic grappling device, which players will use to snare the rock and redirect it into orbit around the Mun, Kerbin or other planets. This new device can also grab things other than asteroids, making it one of the most versatile parts added to the game. These new parts will not only help the Asteroid Redirect Mission but will also offer both new and old players the chance to experiment more in the game's open sandbox mode.

posted 04-11-2014 06:10 AM               

As Gonzo says, it's more addictive than some chemical substances out there. We found it very frustrating, but totally captivating.

Our first crash on the moon was enthralling. Our first successful orbit of the moon was even better. Now if we can just get our astronaut home again.

posted 04-11-2014 08:20 PM               

So building the hardware is fun, and yes, the astronauts are cartoons, but what has impressed me is its ability to show how difficult and subtle orbital mechanics are. My son is 19 and doesn't have a science background but loves finding out how things work. He flew one of my creations (an intuitive engineer, I like to think) into orbit and planned to rendezvous with his own orbital probe. Well, a couple of hours later he made the docking. Now I know why they clap and cheer in mission control. The mission time for the rendezvous was something like 3 days! After sorting out orbital inclinations and apogees and the like...

We didn't get to tell Mr Kraft that M=1, that's for sure. I now know what Mike Collins was talking about with Gemini 10. Very, very addictive. And we needed a lot of tuition on YouTube from guys who have really got into the detail of the program.

posted 03-13-2018 06:45 PM               

Kerbal Space Program adds Space Race rockets in 'Making History' game add-on

A popular spaceflight simulation game has now added the parts for its players to restage some of the most iconic moments from space history.

"Making History," the first expansion pack for Kerbal Space Program since the game's introduction in 2011, includes a "History Pack" with mission scenarios inspired by historical events and new rocket and spacecraft parts based directly on the look and function of the United States' and Russia's historic launch vehicles.

posted 03-15-2018 03:48 PM               

Running down the real world analogues to the new rocket engines introduced to Kerbal Space Program with the Making History Expansion.

posted 03-15-2018 06:50 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gonzo:
Stupid game. Complete time sucker... Seriously though, great fun and as you can tell, very addictive.

---

posted 05-18-2020 09:21 AM               

Kerbal includes Ariane 5 and real ESA missions for gamers

Kerbal Space Program enthusiasts will receive a free update to their space simulator to build an Ariane 5 rocket and tackle real ESA missions in 'Shared Horizons' from 1 July.

Publisher Private Division and developer Squad have partnered with ESA to give players the chance to fully immerse themselves in two key ESA activities: building and launching European rockets, and exploring our celestial neighbourhood.

Shared Horizons features all the stages, engines and systems of Europe's Ariane 5 launch vehicle, so players can build a perfect replica, recombine stages in whatever creative ways they wish or build an imaginary hybrid using a combination of parts from multiple types of rockets.

Once their rocket is launched, players can navigate two new scenarios based on some of Europe's well-known science missions – the BepiColombo Mercury explorer and the Rosetta comet chaser.

Kerbal Space Program is a widely acclaimed physics-based simulation game that was first launched in 2015. Within this update, space enthusiasts take charge and reenact these two missions from launch to landing in the world of an alien race known as the 'Kerbals'. All aspects of the game are based on realistic aerodynamic and orbital physics.

"Kerbal Space Program has already been an inspiration for an entire generation of future engineers and scientists, so introducing this level of realism will really take it to the next level," added Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA's Director of Space Transportation. "And the creative element of being able to build so freely is such a fantastic aspect. I really look forward to seeing the innovative ways in which players will approach designing their new space transportation services."

Players can assemble their rocket and anything else they need for their mission from an updated sandbox of parts, dress their Kerbal astronauts in an ESA-themed spacesuit, and carry out various scientific tasks from actual ESA missions.

The first new scenario is based on BepiColombo, an ongoing joint mission between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), launched on an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018 and currently en route to Mercury. The game scenario recreates Europe's first mission to the innermost planet of the Solar System to map its surface and magnetosphere to investigate the fascinating mysteries about this scorched celestial body. Players attempt to reach orbit and land on Moho, the equivalent of Mercury in the 'Kerbal universe', while performing various scientific tasks from the actual ESA/JAXA mission.

Rosetta, the second new scenario for the popular game, pays tribute to ESA's iconic mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Launched in 2004, also on an Ariane 5 rocket, Rosetta travelled through the Solar System for ten years before reaching its destination, a Jupiter-family comet, dropping the Philae lander on its surface and studying the famously two-lobed comet from orbit for over two years. The mission gathered large amounts of data as the comet swung around the Sun, helping scientists learn more about the role of these puzzling objects in the evolution of the Solar System.

"Here at ESA, many of our engineers and scientists are very familiar with the Kerbal Space Program," commented Günther Hasinger, ESA's Director of Science. "Both Rosetta and BepiColombo are highly complex missions which have specific challenges but prove to be very rewarding for ESA and the global scientific community. Because of this, I am very happy that these ground-breaking science missions can be experienced on Kerbin as well as on Earth."

Ariane 5 is Europe's heavy-lift launch vehicle that has been in operation since 1996 at Europe's Spaceport, and has launched many ground-breaking science missions.

Kerbal Space Program offers three gameplay modes. In Sandbox mode, players can build any spacecraft, with all parts and technology in the game. Science Mode allows players to perform space experiments to unlock new technology and advance the knowledge of 'Kerbalkind'. Career Mode also oversees every aspect of the space programme, including construction, strategy, funding, upgrades and more.

"We are excited to partner with ESA to bring their actual missions and spacecraft to Kerbal Space Program for the first time," added Michael Cook, Executive Producer at Private Division. "It is an honour to work hand-in-hand with such a world-class space organisation, and we cannot wait for fans to experience these monumental missions with the Shared Horizons update."

The Kerbal Space Program: Shared Horizons update will be available for PC on 1 July, with release for consoles planned later this year. Free Shared Horizons update requires the Kerbal Space Program base game.