Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal Space Program is a spaceflight simulation in which you run the space program of the Kerbals. Rockets, aircraft, rovers and space stations are built from freely combinable parts. The flight physics rewards careful design, while lack of thrust, poor aerodynamics and failed landings quickly lead to failure.

Instead of a fixed storyline, you decide what your program aims for: launching a satellite, reaching Mun, bringing a crew home or building a research base.

Kerbal Space Program was released for PC on April 27, 2015. The first PS4 version launched in North America on July 12, 2016, and the Xbox One version followed on July 15, 2016. The reworked Enhanced Edition was released for PS4 and Xbox One on January 16, 2018. Native versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S came out on September 24, 2021.

Console versions differ in controls and technical features. The Enhanced Edition is a reworked version for consoles and not a standalone sequel.

Kerbal Space Program is available for PC with Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as for PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 and Xbox Series versions have technical adjustments, including higher resolution, more stable frame rates and support for larger builds.

The console versions use their own controls and an adapted interface. For the PC version, Steam Workshop and community mods are available.

In the vehicle parts kit, you combine fuel tanks, engines, control surfaces, batteries, landing legs and other parts. Then you launch from the Kerbal Space Center and fly the mission yourself: from liftoff through orbit to rendezvous, landing and reentry.

Your own design determines which maneuvers succeed. A heavy spacecraft needs enough thrust and fuel. For trips to other celestial bodies, launch windows, flight paths and the return must be considered.

Making History released on Mar 13, 2018. The expansion adds a mission editor with custom conditions, challenges based on historical spaceflight missions, and additional parts.

Breaking Ground released for PC on May 30, 2019. With robotic parts such as joints, pistons and rotors, you build moving vehicles and mechanisms. Also included are deployable experiments and geological features on planets and moons. Both expansions require the base game.

On Windows, Kerbal Space Program requires at least a Core 2 Duo at 2.0 GHz, 4 GB RAM, a DirectX 10-capable graphics card with 512 MB video memory, and around 3 GB of free storage. Recommended are a Core i5, 8 GB RAM and a graphics card with 1 GB video memory.

Steam now only supports Windows 10 or later. macOS and Linux have their own system requirements.

The biggest challenge is not just launching a rocket, but reaching a stable orbit. Speed, flight direction, fuel reserves and the timing of your engine burns all matter. For a Mun flight, you plan a transfer orbit and later have to brake again.

The simulation takes aerodynamics and orbital motion into account. Beginners can start with short test flights and gradually work up to more complex missions.

In Sandbox, the parts are available to you right away. Science mode combines research experiments with unlocking further technology. In Career mode, you also manage money, contracts, buildings and the crew.

This lets you experiment freely or build your space program under economic and technical constraints.

The Kerbol System includes various planets and moons with different conditions. You can launch probes, build landers, deploy rovers on surfaces, and fly crewed ships back again.

Spacewalks enable activities outside the spacecraft. Stations and bases are built by joining multiple modules.

Scientific instruments collect data in different situations and biomes. In research modes, this unlocks new parts and technical options. Satellites can survey terrain, while communication networks maintain contact with spacecraft.

Breaking Ground expands research with deployable instruments and surface samples, among other things.

Kerbals take on the role of your astronauts. You put together crews, send them on missions, and plan safe landings and return flights. Spacewalks and docking with stations expand the possibilities of your expeditions.

The PC version supports Steam Workshop and other community mods. These let you add new parts and gameplay options. Making History also includes a mission editor, which lets you create and share your own tasks and challenges.

The Enhanced Edition adapts the user interface and controls for consoles. The native versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S offer, among other things, QHD resolution, improved frame rates, revised shaders and textures, and support for mouse and keyboard.

Owners of the PS4 or Xbox One version could switch to the respective new console version at launch.

The Steam version offers on-screen text in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese, among others. The game is a single-player title. On PC, controls are designed for mouse and keyboard, while the console versions offer adapted controls.