Manual

A place to find information about playing, and succeeding at, Kerba l Space Program.

Controls Compatibility
It mea ns controls are compatible with controll er-n avigation, including rad ial
menu or accelerator controls.

CURSOR It means contro ls are compatible with the cursor.

If both are compatible, you can toggle between modes by pressing the ,s Button button.

A Less B Return to Game

 Manual/ Construction Interface

There is a lot you can do during construction. You will be picking and aligning parts, adjusting staging and
almost certainly coming back to add a chute that you forgot the first time.

Vessel Details Gizmos

Editor Info and Assists App Launcher Staging Stack

A More F. Return to Game

 Manual / Construction Interface/ Construction Gizmos

Construction (iizmos CURSOR

In the construction interface there are four tools to help you design the perfect vessel.

.@ Place Glzmo (Default) ½: Offset Glzmo

Activate this tool to pick up Provides handles to drag the
and connect parts. part along each axis.

_ Rotate Gizmo ,'%] Root Gizmo

Provides handles to rotate Lets you change the root part

the part along each axis. of any group of parts. It is a
two part process of clicking
the group then se lecting the
new root part.

Fine Control Option:

* Open radial menu •VJ and select "Toggle AngleSnap". It will make the offset and rotate tools work in greater
increments.
* With snap enabled, holding down aB . w ill make the offset and rotate tools work in smaller increments.

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 Rocketry/ Advanced / Girders, Plates and Struts

Girders, Plates and Struts

As vessels grow larger you will find a need for structural
components. These parts help you to position parts in
just the right place without needing to repurpose a fuel
tank.

These are especially useful in space station construction.

Strutting Your Stuff

The EAS-4 Strut Connector is the kerbal universe equivalent of duct tape.
You can use it in just about any situation to join parts together.

If the connector goes between parts in different stages in a vessel,

then it will "break" by design when that stage is activated.

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 Rocketry / Advanced/ Fairings

Fairings for A ynamic lmprouements ... , , ' I ' , , I

Once a vessel clears the atmosphere aerodynamics become unimportant,
unless you are landing on some planets. This means that things like th'ej ·
--1-•
satellite shown here do not p eed to be streamlined once they reach space. f-f--,--,--1-
1 I i ..-+-++-+++-1:=-hllll=:t"-+++r-t--t-c- r
To protect a vessel from aerodynamic forces on ascent we can use fairings.<-<-+-+

'
Storing Ia Satelli
I I I

Once a fairing base is placed you "draw" the shape of the fairing panels with the mouse. Below you can
see how this satellite was stored.

--1---r rrl--1+++-H~~, i
Attached to the top Building the fairing - All packed in snug 1 Staging the fairing to
a/the rocket on the wtth the cursor to j and tight., reveal the satellite.
fairing base. wrap the sotell!te.

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 Aircraft

Aircra~
Those magnificient kerba ls in their f lying machines, and other aircraft information.
i

~ ·, More • Return to Game

Aircraft/ Basics

The Basics of Aircra~

While kerbals spend a lot of time reaching out

into space, getting around on Kerbin is another
of their pastimes.

You'll hopefully learn some tricks in this section

to go from this pil e of parts to the below levels
of awesome!

A Less Return to Game

 Aircraft/ Basics/ Forces

Forces That Apply to Planes-

* Excludes gro~nd impact force iii
• • . · 1- i i ,
1 Th is aerodynamic force is generated
----++-+-'-+ by airflow over the w ings . :r--i-t-H--t-t--,---

I
The force of t he
This aerodynam ic force is
engines propel ling
ca used by a ir resistan~e ~s ~he
the plane forwards .
plane moves t hroug h the air.

I I ' I I

· This force comes from g~av_ity

pulling down on the plane. _
I I I I

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 Aircraft / Basics / Lift

(jetting a U~ Up
With a plane, lift is generated by air being shaped as it passes around the wings. Wings in KSP are
symmetrical, if there is no angle of attack (angle into the airstream), there is no lift generated by w ings.

With a plane, t he lift is generated by air being

shaped by the wings. Air deflected downwards
adds force upwards.

Basic rules of thumb are:

1. Larger wings generate more lift.
2. Faster airfl ow generates more lift.
3. If the angle of attack is too great the wing sta lls
and produces next to no lift, only drag.

The part details in the Co nstruction

Interface show the "Relative Wing
Area" of each part, which makes it
easy for you to compare them .

Small Delta Wing

Delta Wing RWA = 0.5
RWA = 20

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 Aircraft/ Basics/ Thrust

What is Different About Jet Engines ~ -~·t-t-

Jet Engines provide the thrust for our aircraft. Th ese engines use int akes to get their oxygen . Th is means
you don't have to carry ox idizer along, but you can only operate where the atmosphere is thick eno ugh.
. . I - I . . .
Your aircraft needs air intakes and liq ui d fue l to reea tneJet engine. -~m-Hrf
. ; i t-t-t--+:a
'

the upper atmosp here and then us_e--.'.:ockets t~ pus h from there to o~it. 1
I ! I .. .. 1
+~ _
If you are trying to bu il d a Si ng le Stage to Orbit (SSTO) craft t hen you might use jet engines to asce nd to

..
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 Aircraft l Basics/ Intakes ExJ)lained

Needing to Breathe
Intakes, like engines, come in many shapes and sizes. The key thing to remember is that they grab air
for jet engines, and the amount varies depending on speed and altitude. ·

The faster you go, the more air is captured; the higher
you go, the less air is captured (because the atmosphere
is thinner at higher altitudes).
'

Picking the Right Intakes+----+-------+---

,
Whi le all intakes perform the same function, you wi ll find that some are better suited to your design,
visually or functiona lly. It's important to pick the right part for the job, and pay attention to the specs
when building.

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 Aircraft/ Basics / Drag

This Is Such a Drag

As your plane travels through the sky, the drag force caused by air resistance slows it down. You
overcome the effect of this force by adding thrust - "moar engines" - or improving aero shape.

Drag and Its Effect on Li~

Drag is the force that's slowing you down.
As lift is related to the speed you're travelling,
more drag usual ly means less speed and
therefore less lift.

Xzibit Kerman pimped this version of the Velocitize

to pick up every station on Kerbin. Unfortu nately it's
going to be very slow w ith all that drag.

F. Return to Game
 Aircraft/ Basics/, Control

Let's c;et Some Control .--t-t~

When bui lding a vesse l you w ill use a number of contro l parts, and there are two typ~s of parts to
consider. Having one type and not the other w ill leave yo u f loundering for contro l.·
- - I _. ._
1·

r-1~- ..
RCS I
Thruster •

I
lSources
These parts apply force to the vesse l - via airflow over
j +-art \ s urfaces, torq ue from gyroscopes, gimballed engine
-+-~.c-,e-+~-+-J-- moveme nt and d irect thrust from thrusters.
. I I . I

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 Manual/ Construction Interface /~ ymmetry and SnapJ)ing

Symmetry and Snapping

To help balance your vesse ls when building, there are two functions that can be a great help.

Angle Snap
.0 · Angle Snap On
The angle snap too l makes it easier to get exact ang les around
t he centerline of t he vessel. By default it works in 15° increments;
ho lding down , RB ~ w ill make it to work in finer 5° steps.
j 0 } Angle Snap Off

Radial Mirror Example Placement in 2x Symmetry

..,..,
ft
'-"
No Symmetry ~
'-._,,

l~o
·~
2x5ymmetry

...
••
••
,
3xSymmetry

4xSymmetry

and more...
2x Radial Symmetry 2x Mirror Symmetry

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 Aircraft/ Basics/ Control Surfaces

, Controlling Airflow
In the atmosphere you can use contro l surfaces to redirect the airflow. T~e change in airflow wi ll change
the attit ude of aircraft. There are many parts that wi ll he lp you to do this.
I -
+--+-+-+-+-f-r--
+++-+-+-+-+-----
Be low are some very simplistic effects of
each ty e of contro l:

Affects Pitch
Affects Yaw

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 Aircraft/ Basics / Center of Lift

Where U~ Is Applied UI Helpers (in Editor)

When designing an aircraft one of the key indicators is the center
of lift (Co l ). Its location is crucial to the balance of the plane. @ , '; Center of Mass

The Col is found by adding the individua l lift components from all G.?} , ,
' - ,• , J
Center of Lift
parts of the craft. Lift is generated by w ings, control surfaces and
even some fuselage parts (via an effect ca lled body lift). ;~, i '- · Center of Thrust

Control surface lift not shown,

butyou should get the idea.

i/'/i' In game you will only see the Col marker in the construction interface.

F. Return to Game
 Aircraft/ Basics/ Achieving Flight

It's All About the Balance u1·Helpers (in Editor)

Designing a plane that will fl y is all about ba lancing the four aero 1
I
forces. In construction you can use the UI helpers to apply some
_ ·/A• ~ --C~nt~r _o f Mass
common ideas to help you succeed .
j ~ · G Center _
o f Lift

Here are some basic themes that help build simple planes. i~-t Center 0f Thrust
0

Of course, once you have a firm grasp offl :ght; imaginatil (a nd·physicsf are the only lim its.

Use Symmetry: Bui ld your plane arou nd a "center line."

Push Along the Center: Li ne up the CoT to push through the CoM .
CoM Near Col: The center of lift should be near the center of mass.

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 Aircraft/ Basics/ Balancing Act

Balandng Act
Here are some examples of planes that suffer from ba lance issues.
Hopefully you can learn a thing or two from our mistakes.i

The thrust in this design is pushing the plan~ a~ und

the CoM, not through it. This is a CoT Issue.-+-+-+-

Here the center oflift is offthe center-line.

This plane will roll left quite badly

Lastly the CoL here is well behind the

CoM, this plane will pitch down hard.

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 Aircraft/ Basics/ Landing Gear

Let It Roll
As you aren't tak ing off vert ically you will need ~o~e stylish
av;-ec_;ca~lsro7bre7e~n•.'ccl,,.\..I-Mo±c--l--+-+-
whee ls to help with takeoff. T~esec,ch~
known to he lp wit h that pesky _r'-lrr-c!= -
land in g thing too. I

Hauing «;oo
You need to make sure the re are whee ls front and back, and at least one set are spaced w ide apa rt fo r
stab ili ty.

Nice spread for balance and stob!ltty This configuration is less likely to stay
· I upright in many situations.
I '

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 Communications Networ~

Communications Network
Here you will find out about CommNet and KerbNet functiona li ty.

'
I
'
\

'' I I
 Communications Network/ CommNet

CommNet
Communication Networks allow your vessels to transmit data between each other and Kerbin. You can
create a CommNet with antennas which connect back to Kerbin's Deep Space Network (DSN).

These links are used for Control and for Science. You can extend the range and Signal Strength of DSN
connections by upgrading the Tracki ng Station and can increase coverage and Signal Strength further
with Relays.

Signal Strength

Orbital \~~ T ··d} ,

Relay . . . _ _ , ~- - - - - - - - - - ~~~ ""

Remote Control s
"

Point
 Communications Network/ CommNet / CommNet Interface

CommNet Interface
The current contro l path, as we ll as all potent ial li nks, and the who le network can be visua li zed in map
view and the tracking station . A pane l shows relevant Comm Net information inc luding contro l leve l,
s igna l strength, and destination type .

Cont rol State ·•· .,1I .. l!li >'~, Links to Disp lay

IIA-2 Rcloy Anknn•

,__
~--
..........,-. ,.,_,.,,,_,,__,
,
. ...~-___. ... _.,. __ .
......
,
You will also see re leva nt
Comm Net info in the editor
and map views as shown here

Co"' 1,100.00
 Communications Network/ CommNet / Control Lin ks

Control Units
A control link is a connect ion from the vesse l back to a contro l source. Th is contro l source is either a
Pilot Kerba l in a vesse l that offers remote contro l, or any of the ground stations on Kerbin (wh ich are
presumab ly staffed by ace pilots). A vesse l wh ich req ui res b ut lacks a contro l so urce w ill s uffer red uced
co ntro l ab ili ties.

\f ·¥· \f -¥-
Full Control Partial Control Partial Control No Control
Crewed IIProbes:11
Part Action Window ~ ~ ~
Stag ing ~ ~ ~
Autop ilot ~ ~ ~
Existing Maneuver Nodes ~ ~ ~
Full/Zero Throttl e ~ ~ ~
Toggle SAS/RCS/Lights/Gear ~ ~ ~
Yaw/P itch / Roll ~ ~
Throttle Up/Down ~ ~
Add/Edit/M aneuver Nodes ~
Any vesse l which lacks a Pilot Kerbal requ ires a contro l source for f ull contro l. Other kerbals can add
some contro l abi lity but cannot provide fu ll control.
 Communications Network/ Comm Net/, iTransmission

Science Transmission
With the correct equipment, a vessel can transmit its science data back to Kerbin via Comm Net. The
higher the signal strength, the more science results from the transmission. It's always better to return
the data than to tra nsmit it, but a strong Signal can make a lot of the difference.

Signal Strength
The signal strength is the product of the signal strengths of all links on the path back to the DSN
or to a Control Point. For example:

f ~ -1-00-•t.- ~ -80_¾_ _ ~l

Path Strength 100% X 80% X 95% = 7696

Ocdusion
Comm Net uses soft occlusion where signals are not cut off immed iately when the destination goes
over the horizon . In addition, atmospheric bodies allow bouncing the signal through the atmosphere,
furthering the distance below the horizon a destination can be.
 Manual / ._Bight Interface

The Flight Interface

Be low is the ma in f li ght interface . You w ill be spend ing a lot of time here, so there is more informat ion
abo ut each labe led area in the following pages.

Time Controls Altimeter App Launcher

Action lkoc..... ~:ioo-u; Fo-' ,.. . ....

Menu - l•Ofl1JIIJ•oe,....,...,. '
- (EDl'TOl],St,owr,,-
- (EOOORJ,fin, Part ~ -\

~ , _, _
. _ _ _ _._._ J \\

Staging
Stack

Kerbal Portraits

' A·1 More ■ Return to Game

 Communications Network/, Comm Net/ Relays

Relays
Somet imes, you are unab le to get to a control po int either due to extreme range, or because
something is in the way (terrain, or another orbita l body) . Re lay antennas all ow a signa l to be
'bo unced' from a vesse l, to a relay, then onto a control point or even another re lay!

Or boost signal stre ngth by

having a low power antenna
transmit via a high power re lay.
 Communications Network/ Comm Net/ Range

Range
The maximum range at which two antennas can commun icate is the square root of the product of their
powers (the geometric mean). Antenna powers are divided into six classes, Class O through Class 5.

Cla ss O ante nna s are the interna l antennas on pod and probe cores; the other classes are sta ndal one
parts. The DSN also has three power levels, one for each Track in g Station leve l.

Most antennas can comb in e the ir power w ith each other on the same vesse l. However, do ing so has
dim in ish in g ret urns.

Effectlue Range Table

Class 5 Level1TS Level2TS Level3TS

Class o 5Km 50Km 158Km 3.1Mm 8.6Mm 22.3Mm I 3.1Mm 15.SMm 35.4Mm

Class 1 50Km 500Km 1.58Mm 31.6Mm 86.6Mm 223Mm 31.6Mm 158Mm 354Mm

Class 2 158Km 1.58Mm 5Mm 100Mm 273Mm 707Mm 100Mm 500Mm 1.1Gm

Class 3 3.1Mm 31 .6Mm 100Mm 2Gm 5.4Gm 14.lGm 2Gm 10Gm 22.4Gm

Class 4 8.6Mm 86.6Mm 273Mm 5.4Gm 15Gm 38.7Gm 5.5Gm 27.4Gm 61.2Gm

Class s 22.3Mm 223Mm 707Mm 14.1 Gm 38.7Gm 100Gm 14.1 Gm 70.7Gm 158Gm
 Communications Network/ KerbNet

KerbNet
KerbNet is a network of information that allows your space program to link its sensors directly to Kerbin's
scientific community. This in turn allows you to plan more efficient missions.

KerbNet is enabled on every probe core, as well as some more specialized parts. Each part has different
capabilities which affect the detail and sort of data available. KerbNet requires a communications link
with the Kerbal Space Center to access that data.

Mouf!1.airl•
s• SO' s. 174· 12· w
0" O' N, 17~ 6' E

A More B Return to Game

 Communications Network/ KerbNet / KerbNet Interface
KerbNet Interface
The interface to Kerb Net is ca lle d up from the Action menu on KerbNet scanners.
KerbNet Mode:
Cycles between the ava il ab le scan
modes.
Scan Map:
Shows the celestial body you are
scann ing a nd the ac ti ve sca n mode.
Drag the targeting reticle for
information abo ut a specific location
or to place a waypo int there.
Field of View Slider.
Lets you zoom the map in or out
based on the altitude and capab ilities of
your vesse l. Some senso rs ca n ha ve
greatly enhanced field of view un der
specifi c conditions.
Color: ...- ~ '
Change co lo r of scan map.
CURSOR
overlay Visibility:
Fades some items on the map so that
you can see the data more clearly.
Automatic Refresh:
Cyc les through KerbNet 's specified
automatic refresh inte rvals.
Information Panel:
Shows information about where the
map is on the ce le stia l body and
more specific data about the targeted
location.
Waypolnt:
Places a waypoint where yo ur
targeting reticle is located using the
name in the text box just above it.
Refresh:
Make a fresh scan be low your vesse l.
 Communications Network/ KerbNet l Scanning Modes

Scanning Modes
KerbNet has three modes of operation -- depending on the scanner 's capabi lities.

Terrain Mode Biome Mode

-·-.
"""""' ·.'·-'"...·"'"_,,..,,.,
no",;,11,.••w
-
•••
......
"''"'""'"" - .,~....
'•"'-'"'· '-'"'
....... .,,.._,,..,n
~
O"!T~ll•"<O'W
'"""' , • S(l'~ l 7'"STW

''"' "'"'" <raH,11'0"'''

'"''"
............ ,.....
,

Bas ic monochromatic sca n of the
terrai n heights of t he ce lestia I
body. Plac ing the ta rgeting re ti cle
wi ll show you the height at any
given location.
It is avai lab le on most KerbNet
scan ners a nd is usefu l for locating
safe landi ng sites.
Avai lab le on more adva nced
KerbNet scanners. It allows you to
see a colorfu l b iome map of the
ce lestia l body below you.
This al lows you to optimize your
hopping from biome to biome .
Ava il ab le on highly special ized
KerbNet scanners. It allows you to
v iew deta iled scans of the resource
concentrations on a celestia l body
in contrasting color schemes.
This makes it much easier to
decide where to set up your
mi ning bases.

• Return to Game
 Communications Network/ KerbNet / Waypoints and Anomalies

Waypoints
c,..t., i.l•nd
Every scan mode in Kerb Net all ows you to place
custom named waypoints on the map by moving
the targeting retic le to a location and clicking the
waypo in t button.

You can eas ily navigate to these waypoints by

clicking them in map v iew.

r--;-1-----. ? Anomalies
Sometimes a scan wi ll pick up something tru ly unexpected, and
your sc ientists w ill mark this with a quest ion mark.

These a nomalous read ings may disappear a nd reappear

sporad ica lly, so it is suggested t hat you tag them w it h a waypo in t
for f uture investigation.
It's (i "ng Hot in Here
It is inevitab le that you wi ll have to manage heat in your space program. Hopefully th is info can help.

A Less • Return to Game

 Heat/ Parts and Heat

Parts and Heat Heat Flow Symbols

Heat management and thermal systems are quite complex topics,
but as you are now an expert at orbital mechanics we will dive right Part to Part
in. Part to Environment

Heat Injection
In the KSP thermal model these are the "basic" rules:
• Each part has connected internal and skin components;
• Connected parts have their individual components connected -
ie. Skin<=>Skin and lnternals<=>lnterna ls
• Heat "flows" between connected components to equa lize
temperature over time - th is is via conduction;
. o,•,.
-... -
• Via radiation and convection heat "flows" between the skin
...
I I '
and environment (atmosphere I space);
• The sun and planetary bod ies emit radiation that
heat the skin of a vessel;

Heat Flow Diagram

:.. .......1.. ...
Skin
----.l.-------:
Skin
This diagram shows you how these ru les apply
with the simp lest of vessels -- two connected
parts.
l l I
The following screens w ill cover specific part
types, and finally an entire vessel to give you
a chance to see it all in action.
'·•······· .. -·······················'···································
Fuel Tonk Fuel Tonk
The flow ofheat is not instantaneous. The transfer ofenergy happens over time.

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 Heat/ Engines

Engines and Heat Sources Heat Flow Symbols

While the sun and planetary radiation will heat your vessel, parts on
Part to Part
your craft will generally be of much greater concern.
Part to Environment
Engines will be used for the main example here, although there are
Heat Injection
other parts that generate heat too e.g. RTGs.

Engines consume resources and convert that to thrust, with a lot of

heat generated in the process. Most of that heat leaves the vessel as
exhaust, so we don't have to worry about that, but some of it does
"soak" into the engine part itself.

* Body radiation not

shown to save space.

;···············l
..
' . . .
···············;···············l ···············:.
..
The Flow From Engines
It can be helpful to think of the heat
production being a module inside the i. l l i.
internals (like the combustion chamber).

The exhaust takes a lot of heat away, but

some of it soaks into the part as well.
:
:

..:
...
...
■
•

..- - .!
- .:
: Exhaust
.

...
.·-.. -.. -.. -. -. --. --. --. --. --. --.. --·- ---. --. -----. --. --. ------. --. ----·.
'

Fuel Tonk Rocket Engine

The flow ofheat is not instantaneous. The transfer ofenergy happens over time.

Return to Game
 Heat/ Core Heat

Ports With Core Heat Heat Flow Symbols

There is another type of heat generating part. Some parts have
a core component which has another important function (for Part to Part
example dri lls and ISRU co nverters). Part to Environment

Heat Injection
Using the ISRU as an example you can think of the core as the
furnace that melts down Ore to prod uces resources. This process
has three important thermal po ints:
• The core has an optim um temperature, with inadequate cooling it will overheat (a nd be
less efficient);
• The process discards a lot of t he therma l energy through exhaust directly to the environment
(for drill s you can th ink of th is as the tai lings of the dri lli ng process);
• Some of the heat does "soak" into the interna l component of the part;

Convert-0-Tron
.~--····· ········
1 Fuel Tonk!
~---------------·
. ..
............................ ................ . (jetting to the Core of It
Skin Skin To keep the core from overheating you wi ll
need rad iators as the part soak is simply not
enough to prevent an issue.

..... m .... Luckily, that's whats next.

: Ill
.
...: : .

...: •· Body radiation not shown to save space.

:--------------·1
,_ - · -----
------------·-.: --. -----. -. --. --. -.. --. --. --. --.
Exhaust
/ Waste The flow ofheat is not instantaneous. The transfer ofenergy happens over time.

Return to Game
 Manual /,Bight Interface/ The NavBall

The NauBall CURSOR

This helps you understand your vesse l's or ientation . Think of it as a three-dimens iona l compass: the
blue ha lf of the sphere indicating away from the body you're orbiting (sometimes known as the sky
when you are la nded), the brown half is towards it (ground) a nd the li ne betwee n them an artific ia l
horizo n.

RCS Indicator Stab ili ty Ass ist Ind icator

St ab ili ty Ass ist

Mode Indicator as:' .1- - G-Force Meter

j_/
• -1
Thrott le Indicator sui- Id( J- ' -- - - _ . , A rt ificial Horizo n

Vesse l Heading

NauBall Markers
On the NavBa ll you wi ll see a range of symbo ls that indicate po ints of reference:

-6- Prograde 8. Norma l 0 Radia l- In Maneuver Prograde

.& Retrograde
~ Ant i- Norma l
a Radia l- Out Leve l Ind icator

■ Return to Game
 Heat/ Radiator Panels

(jetting Rid of Some Heat Heat Flow Symbols

There will be plenty of times when you need to cool your vessel
down. That is where radiators can help. Part to Part
Part to Environment

Heat Injection
Radiator Panels
Coming in surface and edge attached models, these
devices pump heat away from nearby parts, as well
as nearby core modules.

They do this through conduction and using their large

1
surface area to radiate th e heat into space.

What Are "Nearby" Parts?

In this weird shaped assembly ~
■
ofparts, a radiator panel
attached to part C draws heat
Radiator panels draw heat from the part from that part and those that
are one away (B, C and DJ
they are attached to, as well as any part
attached to that one.

You can think of it as the radiator's parent

part, plus one more hop (or parent+ 1).
Rm/lator~
~111
~.
Pone/

B Return to Game
 Heat/ Thermal Control Systems

Heat Flow Symbols

Part to Part
Part to Environment
These parts pump liqu id throughout the entire vessel
Heat Injection
to draw heat to the panels.
Pipes
They, like t he rad iator pa nels, pump heat from both
parts and core modu les, but do not have the same
"nea rby" parts limitation .

Both types of radiators require EC to run

the pumps, but t herma l control systems
are deployab le parts, so you also need
some EC to extend them.
In this example the res radiator
draws heat from all the ports in the
I i T;
vessel through ''pipes" to radiate it
to the environment. _ ,.. ·- -- .
i "' i

Largest size res is simply too big to show here.

Return to Game
 Heat/ Feeling The Flow

Heat Flow Symbols

The diagram below shows how all these systems come together
in a simple vesse l. Part to Part

...o,•,
-
. -
Part to Environment

.. Heat Injection

Solar and body radiation

affects all skin components
I l\ ...
Pipes

. . . . . . 1. . . . . .
Skin -
=.. ......... .
0 ■
Skin
1... . . . .
-
=........... .
f ■
Skin
1. .. . .· · :. . . . . . 1... . . . . :I.· · . . . ..1. . . . . ..
- t -
Skin -
Skin

Internals Internals Internals

The flow ofheat is not instantaneous. The transfer ofenergy happens over time.

Return to Game
 Heat / Heat Shields

Protection During Reentry

If a vessel is entering an atmosphere at high speed, reentry will generate a lot of heat. This heat
can be "absorbed" by a heat sh ield that will burn off Ablator to keep the craft cool.

Solid Heat Shields

Ava ilable in all three sizes these heavy shields
are versatile parts for protection during reent ry.

Do keep in mind that t heir mass mea ns you may

need drogue chutes on your vessel.

Inflatable Shield
This part is deceptively sma ll when deflated. Once
deployed however, it can protect a large vessel
from behi nd the mammoth 1Om shi eld diameter.

Return to Game
 Career

Your KSP Career

The career mode of Kerbal Space Program adds some directed play to the game. It's most ly procedura lly
generated, so it will not be the same on each playthrough .

The goa l of career mode is to bui ld your space program from its f ledg li ng roots to an epic undertaking
that reaches the lim its of the solar system . Seeing a ful ly advanced KSC with kerba ls orbiting or wa lking
on planets througho ut the system is an amazing reward.

It adds making decisions about

contracts, crew assignments,
strategies and a number of other __.. :,\
act ivit ies, to your already busy job
~:::::,
---_'\
of bui lding and flying miss ions.

--·
~:,
.,._
So let 's look at some of the deta il s.
-
 Career I Facilities

Facilities
As your career progresses you wi ll find that you 've outgrown your origina l Space Center. Lucki ly the
Kerba l Engineering department has your back, and through judicious application of Funds you can
upgrade each of t he faci lities from basic to world class.

Basic R&D + Funds

Facility Damage
Whether by errant trajectory, decoupler issues or even
nefarious circumstance you may fi nd that you've damaged
one of t he facilities at the Space Center.

You can recover from these issues by repairing the faci lity
(at a cost of course).

Result on Launchpad ofmisguided SRB disposal

Return to Game
 Career/ Currencies

Currencies
Throughout your career there are three currenc ies to keep an eye on.

Your Funds pay for vessel bu il ds, hire astronauts, upgrade/repa ir

fac 1l1 t 1es and on harder d1ff1cu lt 1es even buy parts as yo u research
Having eno ugh to keep up wit your lanned m1ss1o ns 1s cr 1t 1cal
 Career/, Kerbal Roles

Your Staff
The whole of kerbal society is knocking at the door to be involved in your Space Program. With the
seemingly endless list of applicants you will find that there are three areas (or roles) that kerbals
specialize in.

Sometimes thought of as the rockstars of space exploration, pilots

are focused on ship control and get better as they experience more

unravelling the universe (we just hope they get it put back tog~ er
by dinner-time). When situated in a mo ~i~ processing lab they can
-
The brainiacs of kerbal society. These guys and girls spend their time

increase the science earned significantly.

• Return to Game
 Career/ Kerbal Exi:,erience

Kerbal
As your kerbals get out and explore they w ill experience new and exc iti ng situat ions . These t rans late to
increases in each kerba l's exper ience leve l and can increase the ir sk ill leve ls.

Eac h kerba l ga in s experience from flybys, orbiting, fl ight, landi ng a nd p la ntin g flags on pla nets. The
f urthe r from home t hey are, t he mo re experience they w ill ga in for eac h, but do note they only get XP
for the first time they comp lete one of t hese arou nd eac h planet.

ience and Leuels

Once a kerba l's tot al XP reaches the below va lues they w ill adva nce in levels:
TotcllXP
Leuel

Leuels and Roles

ski ll s based on the ir ro le and level. Th e skil ls add up as your kerba ls advance:

Engineers
EVA Interact with Experiments
Prag rade/Retrog ra de 5x La b Research

Normal/Anti Norma l Repa ir Lander Legs 9x Lab Research

Target and Maneuver Re pair Wheels 13x Lab Resea rch

17x Lab Research

21x Lab Research

~ Near death experience is unrelated to this topic, but a !tkelyoccurence in a kerba!s lifetime.
 Career I Contracts
Working for The Man
To advance your career you will need to take on contracts from the various companies based on Kerbin.
The rewards, goals and timelines for these will vary depending on your reach into the system and your
reputation.

You will sometimes be offered contracts

related to vessels or kerbals you have
out there too, so keep an eye out for
'" "
.m ·-··
'
=... -,. ...... ,,,,*~•-~·- !!:I II
~--, ,,..,-~ ...
______ -......
,~-·~-~
-· --~- _,
_.;.~.., .....
.
'::',::·:

...--~·-··--'"~-
opportunities.
Iii ,
·~"-"""'"'"'-

Be aware that turning down (or failing)

contracts will cost you in Reputation and
sometimes even Funds and Science.

World-Fi Record Keep

This society of kerbal philanthropists is interested in the advancement of space exploration. They reward
space programs for doing things that ave never been done before. Through this group you may find
yourself getting unexpected rewards.

*Abt"e. Must be space program related

■ Return to Game
 Manual /.f!ight Interface/ Mode Controls

Mode Control CURSOR

The mode contro l shows important informatio n regarding the inputs
and contro l of yo ur vesse l. It can be changed between stag ing, _
dock in g and map modes usi ng radia l me nu ( .'' !J l or pressing ~ Button to
1
Precision Mode:
show cursor and se lect t he des ired icon . Note that the PYR Ind icators
change to blue when precision
Stag ing Indicators: Mode Buttons: mode is enab led.
Shows the active stage number Activates staging, docking
and the st age lock indicator and map modes.
(green for go, purp le for locked) .

Docking Mode:
Shows spec ia li zed control input
ind icators for the two docking
modes: rotat ion (ROT) and
tra nslation (LIN).

Pitch/Yaw/Ro ll Ind icators:

,.,
-
~-
-
~"""'"'"" :··1
---
-··
-

Shows the state of the three ..' -·· i•J ~

input axes and any trim appl ied.

■ Return to Game
 Career I Technology

Aduanclng Technology
The core of any space program (aside from the actual space part of course) is in the research and
development of technology to advance exploration. You do this through the application of Science
points in the R&D facility.

This blueprint represents the master

plan of the R&D department to discover
everything.

Each node represents an area for growth

and comp leting this research will un lock
the parts related to that area.

Looking Into the Futur

It is important when you are looking at the tech tree, and what to research, that you look at future
branches too. If you are trying to bu il d a rover, but don't research areas that lead to whee ls, it 's gonna
be a bumpy ride "rolling" on structura l girders. -....-- - - ~

*Abt"e. Must be space program related

■ Return to Game
 Career/ Strategies
Applying Some Strategy
In the administration bui lding you wi ll find representatives for some KSC departments who wi ll help you
to a lter how Funds, Rep utation a nd Scie nce are spe nt or ea rn ed .

Strateg ies come in two flavors, but all have a set up cost a nd allow yo u to adjust the commitment to
tweak the return on your investment.

n Strategies
These st rategies trade off o ne curre ncy
for another over t he long term, by affecting

You w ill pay an ini tia l set up cost based on

the comm itment you are mak ing, and w ill
see costs and rewards adjust from then on
as yo u play.

Immediate Strategies .
These strateg ies are conversions of one currency to another o the spot. The setup cost is rea lly what it
wi ll cost you to get the reward, a nd they take effect immediate ly.

■ Return to Game
 Science

Science and Space

The scient ific method is an all consuming passion for many kerba ls,
and lu ck ily also a key to unl ock ing many techno log ical advances for
spacefl ight.

An importa nt function of you r space program is to see how you can

advance science and techno logy for Kerba lkind.

Science Points
Sc ience po ints (or Science) are needed to research techno logy areas
and unlock their re lated parts. These points are generated primari ly
through ex perime nt a nd observation t hroug ho ut the so lar system.

You will also get some for passing mi lesto nes and completing some
types of con t racts .

Wernher von Kerman

The Subject of Science

When perform ing sc ience activities it is key to understand the location
for the act ivity. These invo lve where yo u are - planet/biome - and what
yo u' re doing- flyi ng, orb it ing, landed, etc.

This comb in ation of situation, planet and biome is t he subject of an

experiment - eg. landed at Minmus f lat s.

' A·, More • Return to Game

 Science /~periments
Experimenting for Profit
The most obvious way to generate Science is through activities. At its simplest this involves observations
by the crew (crew or EVA reports), and works its way up through performing experiments all the way to
processing data in a lab.

Crew/EVA Reports
A simple action the ci-ew perform as required. Once
you have done these you w ill rare ly get any reward
for repeating them with the same subject.
.,,

·Experiment Reports
These involve the use of science parts to perform
experiments. These tend to generate more data,
but you do need to keep the subject in mind.

For example you won't get any siesmo logy readings

if your vessel is in space.
 Science / Science from Data

TUming Data into Sdence

When you petiorm act ivit ies a report
with the data is generated.

The primary method to extract the

Science from that data, and adva nce
kerba l knowledge, is to get the data
back to Kerb in.

You can see a ll the opt io ns for t he , . . Tra,umK: +0.0 Scleoce

report in the result w indow. • Tran'"!" Da,.

,z,
!Vote, The recovery and transmit bars that show the amount oftotal
Science possible, and amount this report will earn.

Bring It Baell to Kerbin

By choos ing "Keep Experiment" the report Will be
stored to be recovered with the kerba l or vessel on
Kerbin 's surface.

Thi s usually nets you t he best Scie nce return, and is

t he only way to extract all the possib le Scienceirom
any exper iment and subject comb inat ion .
 Science l iTransmission

Phoning It In - Remote Data

Another way to get the data back to Kerbin is by
transmitting it.

Transmitting the report means yo u wi ll get Science

wit ho ut having to fly a ll the way home, but-you will
only get a perce ntage of the recovery va lue.

Another downside is that no matter how many t imes

you transmit t he same experime nt/s ubject combo
you cannot extract all t he possible sc ience.

Transmission Options
To t ransmit th e report you wi ll need a commun ications
antenna and enough EC to send the data. If you do not have
enough EC to send the data in one go then yo u can choose to
receive d iminished retu rn s (via the "All ow Partial" mode) or
have the report returned and try agai n ("Require Comp lete"
mode - this is t he def_au lt).

As us ual there are a range of parts, and these have varied

capab ilit ies regarding data thro ughp ut and EC requ ired.·
 Science / Lab

Processing Data in Situ

One other way to use the data you generate is with the MPL-LG-2 Mobile Process ing Lab. This behemoth
of a part is someth ing you will have to work up to in career, but the benefits can be substant ial.

You can process your reports in the lab if there are scientists aboard yo ur vesse l. They w ill slowly process
the data into Sc ience points (us in g lots of EC), before returning th e report to yo u so yo u ca n deliver it to
Kerb in. The number ar,id leve l of the scie nt ists aboard affects how qu ick ly the report data is converted
into Science .

Another added side-effect is that t he lab can "c lean" Goo and Sc ience Jr modu les so they can be reused
after the ir data has been extracted.

• Return to Game
 Resources
Resources
The solar system is rich in many things, one of which is Ore .

This versati le resource can be mined and converted to a

number of usefu l substa nces.

Whether you are sett ing u p a refue lli ng station for inter-
pla netary trave l, or just system hoppi ng with a mini
co nverter to top up your fue l tanks, th is section shou ld
have some usefu l information for you .
1r.t.l-l
,

I.
··~--
1-r-'·
I

'/

f a.-'~ 1 .1'
lr lD
w:

·A Less • Return to Game

 Resources/ Scanning

Finding Your Ore

You will find Ore in two different environments - on planets and within asteroids - let 's start w ith
p lanetary m ini ng. Fin ding a good place to mi ne is all about gathering inte l. To do this there are th ree
scan ner compone nts to he lp find a good·spot for mini ng.

The Orbital Scanner

To get an overa ll view of a pla net's Ore conce ntrati o n leve ls, po,sition a vesse l in po lar orbit a nd then run
a scan with t he M700 Survey Sca nn er. Thi s w ill allow you to e~ab le an overlay of the planet with Ore
informati o n.

Your orbit needs to be a stable

polarorb1t{+/- JO degrees), and
within the altitude limits for the
scanner and the specific planet.

Once the scan is completed there are a range of opt io ns

available in map mode to vis uali ze t he concentration data
that's bee n co ll ected.
 Resources/ Scanning (Continued)

(ietting Ore Spedfac

Now that you have some idea of where the Ore hotspots are, what 's next?

·The Narrow Band Scanner

Thi s scanner is used to get a hi -res view of the planet's surface,
d irectly u nder t he vessel. Thi s can be used after an orb ita l
scan to give more detai l about Ore concentrations.

There's a mass of in formation and

opt io ns here to he lp fi nd the best
place t o land and.drill.
.,,_
,
"'·:
•

The Surface Scanner

Once touc hed down, this scanner is
used to "ground truthnthe planet. and
improve the res ults from o rbi ta l scans.

MJ/t: You do not have to complete an orbital scan before using the surface scanner.
 Manual/~
Flight Interface/~----
---~-- The Staging
- Stack
The Staging Stack CURSOR
The staging stack helps you to visualize the vessel's current and upcoming stages. In flight mode It
shows you how much fuel is attached to running engines, and also lets you adjust the stages "on the fly."

Here we see the six stages of

',\@ D
a vessel and the parts assigned
to each stage. -~1"" . , - - • Remove Empty Stage:
Deletes the stage next to t he icon .
.\\\lt) D Nore: this only works for empty stages.
When a stage is activated, the

~
parts assigned to that stage are
activated.
l!l!I
\II~ ~
_ J~,,.,~ - - - - - • Empty Stage:
Ready to have parts dragged into it.
\\\'rn D
Moving Stages:._.../
You can select a stage pressing
r-.... I'll
- "Ill
-------eAdd Stage Below:
the A button and drag selected \11{4~1!1 This wil l add an empty stage that is
ready to have parts dragged into it.
one to change its order in the
stack.
~ Ii'!
\i@ D
Moving Parts: e------ '/, -~ - I----•
,r
Active Stage Resources:
You can se lect a part pressing
the A button and drag it "7i - Shows the resources this active stage
between the stages by moving
its icon.
"7-.' - 1s consuming.

■ Return to Game
 Resources/ Asteroid Mining

Ore on Asteroids
Every asteroid in the so lar system has some amount of Ore in it. Genera lly speaking, the larger the
asteroid, the more Ore there is.

Discovering the amount of Ore is a litt le bit

more cha ll enging though.

· You can on ly det ect the amount of Ore an

• asteroid contains by gett ing up close to it.
· '-and then checking its properties .
UAU, LVZ -3]1
Mo«. 29M 31117t
~e,o,,,,e, 235-( ll253< [Ill 000)1; Thi s means you have to re ndezvous, before ,
- h•f•t Con,., ot '-!us you know j ust how much Ore t here might be .
~ ~enomeAstoro,~

The Effect of Mining

One point of note when you drill Ore from an asteroid, it does reduce the mass of the astero id. The O're
extracted adds mass to the m ining vesse l, so u nl ess you d isca rd the Ore afte r drilling you will have quite
a heavy vessel. .
 Resources/ Asteroid Mining

Ore on Asteroids
Every asteroid in the so lar system has some amount of Ore in it. Genera lly speaking, the larger the
asteroid, the more Ore there is.

Discovering the amount of Ore is a litt le bit

more cha ll enging though.

· You can on ly det ect the amount of Ore an

• asteroid contains by gett ing up close to it.
· '-and then checking its properties .
UAU, LVZ -3]1
Mo«. 29M 31117t
~e,o,,,,e, 235-( ll253< [Ill 000)1; Thi s means you have to re ndezvous, before ,
- h•f•t Con,., ot '-!us you know j ust how much Ore t here might be .
~ ~enomeAstoro,~

The Effect of Mining

One point of note when you drill Ore from an asteroid, it does reduce the mass of the astero id. The O're
extracted adds mass to the m ining vesse l, so u nl ess you d isca rd the Ore afte r drilling you will have quite
a heavy vessel. .
 Resources/ Drilling

Mining for Ore

To get the Ore out of the ground you wi ll need to dri ll ! Dri ll s are Electric Charge (EC) hungry devices that
extract Ore wh il e generating lots of heat. This means that drill ing requires a bit of tho ught and
ma nageme nt.

Kerba l engineers have deve loped two sizes·of dri ll for you to use .

Major Drill
Made ·for lo ng-term m ini ng operations to extract e\lery 1,
last bit of Ore, pe rhaps as part of a refue llin g statio n.

Mini Drill
This is perfect for short hopping missions where you
wa nt to touch dow n, extract some Ore and move on.

Do keep in lllind you have to dri ll in the right place, this

drill has a 2.5% m inimum concentrat ion restriction.
 Resources/ Conversion Management

Resource Conuersion Management

Due to mining and conversion being long running processes, keeping resources f lowing involves some
strategic thinking. It.is never fun to come back and find out nothing happened in the last year. Here are
some things to keep in mind:

Core Heat
Managing the core heat of these parts is key to a long ru nn ing operation. If the
core heat cannot be mainta in ed then efficiency suffers . Optimci l core heat is:
Drills: SOOK
Converters: 1 OOOK

. PartH at

Capacity
Whe n extracting Ore, or converting it to ot her resources, you must have room to
store the end product. If you are mining and converting then that means thinkin g
about storing two resources.

cCharge
These processes are very hungry for EC, so you need some
good EC sources (so lar or fuel ce ll s maybe) to back them .
 Manual /,Bight Interface/ The Altimeter

The Altimeter• CURSOR

This is the alt imeter contro l - and the gear toggle, and the brake t ogg le, and t he abort button, and ..

Alright, it does show a few more th in gs tha n just a ltitude, a nd does let yo u co ntro l a number of fu nctions .
You can see t hese below.
* May contain "some" other information and controls.

Abort: Transition Buttons: Lights Toggle

Trigger the abort Recover vessel (avai lab le when
action group. landed on Kerb in) or Space Center
to return there.

Altitude:
A lti t ude above sea
level, NOT above
ground leve l.

Atmospheric Brakes Toggle

Pressure

■ Return to Game
 Manual /.f!!ght Interface /Time Controls/Action Menus

Time Co ls and Action Menus CURSOR

Using the time controls you can adjust or "warp" time as well as togg le
between mission elapsed time (MET) and universe time (UT).
, .. 00:03:03

EVA Action Menus Part Action Menus

Kerbals on EVA also have contextual actions Most parts have a contextual menu that lets
they can perform. There are some examples you interact with them. You will see details
in the picture here. of the part and any actions you can perform.

- ·•-<•O"~""' ~0"•01
aeoc,,on Whee" l dl<
- Cant,al "'"' H•·•
- ••"''"'veuei
-- '°"'''"'"""
,,.,.e,oart
_ ,,,•.,.,c,,w
I~
u "-'

■ Return to Game
 Manual / ,Bight Interface /,!y.pp_ Launcher

The App Launcher CURSOR

From the app launcher you can access a range of too ls and information. Some examples are shown here.

Messages App: ~----e Resources App:

Where im portant career events Shows resources in your vesse l.
are shown. Enab le the checkbox next to a
resource to see where that is on
the vessel.

:Re~ourtes
0 Electr1<:Cl'large
0 MonoPropellant
0 Liquidfuel
0 Oxidi,er

Contracts App: '------- Currencies App:

Current contracts with the ir Yo u r current Funds, Rep utation and
parameters and comp letion status.
Science .

., Achieve a land distance

or s.ooom from KSC ..,._ I mliiiifiE
KSPedia App
You are here. :103?:2.0

■ Return to Game
 Manual /.f!ight Interface/ Kerbal Portraits

Kerbal Portraits CURSOR

During flight you can monitor the fear - I mean excitement - of your astronauts via the portraits in the bottom -
r ight corner. Hovering over a specific ke rba l wil l give you detai led info on them .

Interior Overlay Mode View Action (IVA)

Reveal the vessel 's interior spaces. It's like Also known as lntraveh icular
look ing at the man beh ind the curta in. Activity. Changes the camera
to show you th is ke rbal's point
of view.

Bob Kerman Valentina Kerman

Add/Remove Slots
Adjust how many portra its
are shown in t he li st
L Kerbal Information
The kerbal 's name . Th eir ro le and
ski ll leve l wi ll be shown w hen the
j EVA Action
Extraveh icu lar Act ivity: this
kerbal wi ll exit the spacecraft.*
cursor is over a portra it.

*EVA while flying in atmosphere can be detrimental to a kerba l's health.

■ Return to Game
 Manual/ Construction Interface/ The Parts Toolbox

The Parts Toolbox CURSOR

You will find the items you need to build a vessel in the parts toolbox. Through the use of filters you can
target a search for that perfect part.

-,_
Toggle Advanced Mode:
Press the X button on categories -· +---• Sort Actions:
to show/hide the additional -"-"0--,--- In cursor mode, press the ' JJ,: 1 button
advanced filters including on a label to sort the parts.
resource type, bulkhead
Sile, tech level and more.
>----e Part Picker:
Press the A button to pick up parts
from the toolbox and use them in
the editor.

In cursor mode, you can also drop

unwanted parts here to discard them.

Part Details
Press the X butronon parts in the
toolbox to toggle the display of
additional info.

■ Return to Game
 Manual / ._Bight Interface/ EVA Activities

EVA Actiuities CURSOR

When ke rba ls are out and about you can d irect t hem to interact wit h what's around them via the action
menus.

Be low are a number of the activit ies that can be performed:

• Repair wheels.
• Collect surface samples
• Collect sc ience from experiments.
• Plant flags .
• Extend a nd retract pa ne ls.
• Extend and retract land in g gear.
• EVA reports.
• Repack parachutes.
• And more ..

In career mode some activities are avmlob/e to specific roles and levels only. For example, the "Repair
Wheel' activity 15 only avmlab/e to engineers that are level 3 and above.

■ Return to Game
 Manual/ MaJ) Interface

The Map Interface

Th is is the view from the map. Here you see the b ig picture for the active vesse l and other nearby obj ects
in space.

Time Controls Vessel Filter App Launcher

l ~.:::::==~-----""
,.w,n,
~·•;;~,J.~~wi.~ai.~lt.~.~-~
MF
·•~
·;~.;;;.,001~~•:,--------~l•]~II--"
I r;S

Active la:
Vessel r,
I'!:

Other
Vessel

NavBall and Toggle Kerbal and

Landed Vessel

' A '1 More ■ Return to Game

 Manual l Map Interface/ Orbit Nodes

Orbit Nodes
When looking at orbits there are a number of helpful in dicators.

~"
......
......... •·11
......
.....•·

., .... . ·····
.,___:::==-----~:::;?-'::.. .-::=::=:==::Active Vessel
- !Vo/c: The color a/the orbit helps to differentiate
between the active and target vessels.
Apoapsis/Periapsis Node:
Where the vesse l is furthest (Ap) and closest (Pe) to the p la net it is orb iting.

...
Ascending/Descending Node:

. ..........
These show where the active vessel's orbita l plane crosses the target vessel's. AN is where
the active vesse l goes from below the target plane to above it (and vice versa for DN) .

., ·~
Intersect Markers (Closest Approach):
Th ese show where you w il l be closest to your target. The downward marker shows where
the active vesse l wi ll be, and the upward one the target's pos ition at the same time.

■ Return to Game
 Manual/ Map Interface/ Orbit Nodes (cont.)

Orbit Nodes (continued) Future Path

3rd Patch

Active
Vessel

Future Path :
1st Patch

Future Path
···...... 2nd ;tch

········• ............... £> /·····'--e Mun on 2nd Patch

Shows where the Mun will be
at the Pe for this orbit patch,
Orbit Unes and Colon:
The co lor and style of orbit lines provides important information.
• Ona vessel 's orb it the grad ient is a "trai l" with the brightest part of the orbit where the vessel just was.
• Future orb it paths (after maneuver nodes) are shown w ith dashed lines.

Sphere of Influence Change (501):

v cj Shows where the orb ital path wi ll leave one pla net's SOI and enter another's. Each time an orb it cha nges
SOI the orbit color cha nges. The co lor of the SO I node re lates to the orb ita l path before the SOI node.

Maneuuer Node:
Where a maneuver has been planned. The orbita l path after the maneuver is the same co lor
as the maneuver node.

■ Return to Game
 Manual/ Map Interface/ Maneuver Nodes

Maneuuer Nodes
This map too l is arg uably the most important too l for getting to your chosen destination . With it yo u plan
the location, d irection and orientat ion of a "b urn," a firing of the engines .

Creating Maneuuer Nodes

In cursor mode, press t he (A_I button anywhere o n your orbita l pat h - t he actua l orbit or future paths after
existing ma neuver nodes.

Adjusting the Maneuuer

t::. When the ma neuver node gizmo is active you can adju st the
p la nn ed burn us ing the six handles. .-
You can plan bu rn s for th e se lected handle using LS (cha nge hand les
w it h LB and RB ) to see how a burn made in that d irection, for that
duration, would affect the res ul tant orb it.

G1Zmo Primary Mode

The Maneuuer C,iztno Alternate Mode

Wit h the gizmo ope n you can press t he {A~ butto n to toggle between

a0

GizmoA!temateMode
x
~ .-
gizmo modes.
The a lternate mode lets you move the node forward and backward
who le orb its pressing the L s or RB button.
De lete t he node if yo u need to clea n up pressi ng t he I X button.
I

■ Return to Game
 Manual / Controls

Controls
How to contro l vesse ls and kerba ls so you can bui ld and explore .

'A_" More • Return to Game

 Manual l Controls l Presets

Three d iffere nt gamep lay presets ca n be chosen to adapt to different p laystyles, namely:

Cursor Radial Simplified

Chang ing Preset changes the flight and editor controls, as we ll as the UI navigat ion.

You ca n change the preset in use in the main menu Settings sect io n, as well as through t he min isettings
ava il ab le throough the pause menu, in -game.

. ..... ......
■ Return to Game
 Manual/ Controls/ In-Game Help

Controls Help
A list of the currently active controls can be accessed through both the pause menu ..
 Manual/ Controls/ Cursor Preset

Cursor
Cursor offers backwards compatibi lity wi t h previous conso le installments of the game, and is p layed
largely w ith the virtual cursor, wh ich may be togg led on and off with ~ Button .

.,;,...~ - ~ - - - -
··-

!/ / ~
,/ / -;
Ji -a
:!l

,·,
;. - ~
-
..•· - ,..,,,,,,'::;;:
-
"'
"••
'"
••
, ..
~
~·
. "
-~ ·
'
. a.)

'
■ Return to Game
 Manual/ Controls I Radial Preset

Radial
Rad ial is a balanced preset that changes some of the bindings and moves sli ghtly away
from the virtual cursor.

avai lab le in all screens by

press ing ~ '!} .

'~
-'B
--
'
J
.....

Radia l also uses a v irtua l cursor during flight

and vessel ed it ing.

Press GD Button to toggle the cursor on and off.

 Manual/ Construction Interface/, Part Details

Part Details
You can adjust how much deta il is shown by pressing the I ~ ~ button wh il e a part is se lected in the toolbox.

General Details: ►------------,

Basic in formation like mass, resource
capacity, crew capac ity and more.
Mk1 ·2 Comm~nd Pod
Mon: ~ 12,

Part Name and Model: ►---1

•
Inc lud ing a one meter sca le for
refere nce .

Description:
Learn a b it more aboutthe use
and hi story of each part

Module Details: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,,

Th is section contains more
de tai ls o n the specific modu les
tha t ma ke up th e pa rt.

■ Return to Game
 Manual /Controls/ SimJ)lified Preset

Simplified
Simp lified removes the virtua l cursor and offers an entire ly conso le-oriented game experience.

~ Simp lified rep laces t he

T• ...... -•10 Mn''

i
ri:1
v irtua l cursor with a Look-At
system. Moving the camera
~ changes your currently -.
r,, ---~ se lected item; pressing 1.::,
Button
1

Lti1 all ows you to peek around.

!'!

There are still some

radia ls left to use the
Action Groups.

Simp li fied replaces radia l men us w ith region

navigatio n pretty much everywhere.

Ho ld ~Y,, to see ava il able regions and I.!:~} to

move betwee n them .
 Manual / Management Screens
Career Management
Learn the uses and methods of the faci lities around the Kerbal Space Center so you can tailor your
career for success.

WE HA VE
LIFTOFF!

11/o/e,·Champagne not included

A More F. Return to Game

 Manual / Management Screens/ Kerbal SJ)ace Center

The Kerbal Space Center

This is your home for all things KSP-Re lated. You'll see it a lot as you move between different faci lities,
getting a ll your kerba ls organ ized for an epic space adventure .

Time Controls

........___. .,,···--~-· ,_~

r ,,.,,....._.,.,,_,,~.,.
;
.• ,,.......
·" .. ,,_. ·•.•·-····'·····
tB\ ~
,---.
n
J7f
,-
n
r
~

r
r;

Bulldlng App Launcher

Shortcuts

■ Return to Game
 Manual / Management Screens/ Astronaut Complex

The Astronaut Complex

This faci lity lets you ma nag e your roste r of ast ro nauts.

Roster Tabs:
The th ree tabs here let yo u see ava ila bl e, assigne d and lost astrona uts. At the top yo u
wi ll see the max imum ros te r size you ca n have wit h t he curre nt level of th e faci li ty.

Applicants:
Thi s is t he li st yo u ca n hire new staff from. Yo u can see w hat ro le Lost Kerbals:
each appl ica nt has spec ialized in as we ll as some basic info on These kerbals have ha d an unfortunate
their pe rso nalities. "accide nt" du rin g the ir care er. Don't
wo r ry too much, as they wil l f in d th eir
In Career mode the cost to hire t he appl ica nts is shown at t he top. way home eventua ll y.

• Return to Game
 Manual l Management Screens/ Administration Building

The Administration Building

The admin interface has three main sections to use for managing your strategies.

Available Strategies:
These are the strategies that the division heads have to offer
you. Selecting one will show you more information.

--·
Active Strategies:
Here you can see the strategies that are
currently active, as well as the maximum
number you can accept at the current
level of the facility.
-~-
Strategy Details:
The selected strategy details and effects are shown here.
For offered strategies you can use the slider to adjust the
commitment you wish to make before accepting. For active
strategies you have a big red button to cancel them.

• Return to Game
 Manual/ Management Screens I Mission Control

Mission Control
Mission Control has a mass of information on contracts -- whether offered, active or complete. You can
pick and choose the goals for your space program and check prospective rewards.

Contract List:
The three tabs here let you see ava ilable, active and completed
con t racts. The number you can have act ive is rela t ed to how advanced
the Mission Contro l facility is.

_________
__ . _____
...,_,..,_.,
_..,,.,, _...,,.,
___ _,
_____
... ...,__ ,.
__ . _. __ ,_,.,. ___ _ ___
......._ ,_
..,._
.... _.,_, _
,_. ...""""·
......

..,. ...... - "·-~ .. -._ ..... '""" ..... .... ...

....... .,
. ,_ ..............
........ "' ~ , _... ,

• - ·-· ' --~-... . ........- ....,.,.,..., o,,_

Contract Details:
The details of the selected contract and completion are shown here,
along with t he buttons to accept, decline and cancel (if you're not up to it).
 Manual /, Management Screens/ Research and Development

rch and Deuelopment Technology Tree

The R&D Tech Tree shows you the technologies and parts that are available. This career facility
lets you see what is (and what can be) unlocked through the application of Science.
Tool bar:
Across the top (from left to right) are the Technology and Science Archives tabs; the current level of Funds,
Reputation and Science; and the way out.

· · ·· - • __ ,.,..c.-

Tech Tree Nodes: Technology Detai ls:

The color and lines of the nodes indicate what
is un locked and what is stil l to be researched.
The number attached to the node shows how
many parts are locked. Again, at harder difficulties
you have to spend Funds to unlock these parts.
The detai ls of the selected tree node and associated parts
are shown here. You can see the prerequisite nodes to unlock
it (and the button to spend Science to do this if it's locked) as
well as the parts that make up the techno logy. At harder
difficu lties you wi ll spend Funds to unlock each of the parts.

■ Return to Game
 Manual/, Management Screens/ R&D Science Archives

rch and Deuelopment Sdence Archlues

The R&D Science Arch ives show your progress in scient ific discovery. It stores all the va luab le experiment
resu lts that yo u have collected .

Report Details:
Toolbar: This li st shows deta ils abou t the report s t hat match your selected
Across t he top (from left to right) fi lter. The progress bar shows yo u the amo unt of science you have
are t he Techno logy and Science co llected for t hat particu lar report compared to the amo unt of
Arch ives tabs; t he current leve l of sc ience th at ca n be co llected. If t he bar is f ull th en th ere is no po int
Funds, Rep utation and Science; repeating t hat acti vity.
nd the way out.
,. ;:;· a = ,,-..
•• - . ,
·-
,,,-- _
. .._
f ;;""...="
.·-
~ ~

·-
_____
,,,,,.._,·-
""""·-~·
!R--~
............. -- __ _
~"' 10,,,,,,,., ,.,_....,,.,.,.,_ Out oP, .,._,,"' m
..._ _,

'j •••
-• .,. ,.,..,.._
,,_·-.
,-- _,.
___
.,_ ____
,.........
f ,_
"'lfl"""'
,.
""""'""" ............
."""""_,__ .,, - .,.,.,....
..,.____ .,, .......,_, __
-j. - ,~.,-w.._, '-----·-
'"-
-~------ -
.,_.....

-• - ,--,--H- ----- ,_
'"-

• •• '
,:-.:- ..
I :::;,.,.
I\"'!':!.'..
,.._,..,, _ .........

Report Filters:
Here you can filter the reports to be shown on the right.
Yo u can f il t er by planet, experiment. sit uation and biome.
 Manual/ Management Screens/, il"racking Station

The Tracking Station CURSOR

Here you w ill find act ive flights, nearby objects and be ab le to see a ll the places you 've planted flags.

Toolbar:
The current date, t ime contro ls and a fi lter for vesse l types are across the top.

Tracked Objects:
Th is is the li st of all your active flights and tracked space App Launcher:
obj ects. Whe n se lected you w il l focus on t hat object, and can Yo u wi ll find lots of useful info
manage it using t he buttons below. You can also move th e about the selected obj ect through
came ra and interact w ith t he obj ects in t he ma in v iew. these Apps.
 Locations

Locations
With places to go and kerba ls to see, you should get the he lp you need here.
 Manual/ Construction Interface/ Action Groups

Action (iroups
With acti on groups yo u ca n cause m ul t iple actions to happe n at a single radial m enu action. A co mm on
setup mi ght be t o have all so lar pa nels t oggle on one radia l men u actio n, or all radiators extend. With
the layo ut seen he re yo u se lect an item on list ed acti ons to alter the gro ups .

Stock Groups: Group Actions:

Yo u ca n add to t he Acti ons li sted here wil l
stock actions through be tr igge red whe n t he
these items in the list. hig hlig hted group is
activat e d

~·-
---
--
--
-- This shows the ava il ab le
actio ns fo r t h e part
se lected in the ed itor

~
If t he part selected was
Custom Groups: p laced using symm etry
Th ese let you defi ne th en th e act ion w il l
act ions to occ ur when includ e all th e parts in
acc ese d from the the sy mme t ry gro up.
rad ial m enu Selecting a part in the scene causes it to be
highlighted blue for identification

The Abort Action Group:

Th is st ock grou p can be used to fi re off your escape towe r and save you r crew in the eve nt of a launc h issue . Not
saying it's like ly, but acc iden ts do happe n.

• Return to Game
 Locations/ Celestial Bodies

The solar system consists of seven planets and nine moons. Kerbals have looked up since
the dawn of time to figure out just how to reach and explore everyone of these shiny dots
in the sky.

Ker/Jin

' A·1 More ■ Return to Game

Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ The Sun

The Sun .
The light at the center of the universe, this yell ow star provides light and
heat for all Kerba lkind.

Kerbal Astronomical Society

The sun is the most well known object in the daytime sky.

Sci~ntists have noted a particu lar burning ·sensation and potentia l loss
C?f vision if it's stared at for long periods of time.

This is especially important to keep in m in d considering the effect shiny

objects have on the average kerbal.

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 Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ Moho

Moho figures in kerba l mytho logy as a fiery p lace w ith oceans of flow in g
lava. In rea lity, however, it's muc h less int eresting.

nomical Sodety
. .
Sc ientists specu late about poss ible ways t o make it "Awesome li ke in th e
stories." Some of th ose ideas have led to new breakthro ughs in aerospace
technD logy. •·
4
••

,,
.l, I )

•
'I
J

■ Return to Game
 Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ Eve

Eve is certain ly the purp lest object in the solar system. It's one of the large.r,
most visible objects, ma inly because of its very, very purple t int.

nomlcal Sodety
It is cons idered by some to be an almost sister p lanet to Kerb in. We ll ,
despite the purp le, and the toxic atmosphere, and the extreme pressures
and t~mperat ures . Act ually, it's not very similar at all , is it? Who are those
peop le?
. 4
••

Gilly is a lumpy rock wandering around t he

orbit of Eve . It is by far the sma ll est nat ura l
sate ll ite that the Kerba l Astronomica l
Society has d iscovered.

Gilly

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 Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ Kerbin

Kerbin
A u~ique world, Kerb in has f lat plains. soaring mounta ins and wide, blue
oceans. Home to t he kerba ls, it has just the right conditions to support a vast,
seem in gly undep letable population of th e eager gree n creatures.

nomical Society
Reac hi ng a stab le orb it around Kerbin is one of the f irst th in gs budding space
programs strive for. It is said that a kerba l who can get their ship into orbit is
halfway to anywhere. •·

Th ere are two moons circling Kerbin: t he Mun, which is a nearby trip for the
adventurous, and Min mus .. seems m inty fresh somehow.

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 Locations/, Celestial Bodies/, Duna

Also known as the red dot that you can see if you squint at it rea lly hard,
Duna has long been a wonder to al l kerbals. ·

nomical Society
The planet has been he ld in mLlch awe due to its striking red co lor and
stark contrast to the color green.

Ike is Duna's on ly moon, w ith steep

rocky slopes; it's a cha ll enging crash ..
I mean land ing.

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 Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ Dres

Ores is a very sma ll planet. It was the first planet cons idered to be a dwarf.
Its orbit is highly irregu lar and, together with its size, it took a long t ime to
d iscover since half the t ime it was not w here scientists expected to find a
planet.

nomical
Due to (ts nature of frequent ing the bad parts Of space, th is dwarf p lanet
was officially labe led as "Not to be trusted': by t he sc ientific commu nity.
•

Some astronomers have noticed variations in gravitationa l meas urements

aro und Ores . While o nly s light , perhaps there is somethi ng more to th is
gray dwarf.

■ Return to Game
 Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ Dres

Ores is a very sma ll planet. It was the first planet cons idered to be a dwarf.
Its orbit is highly irregu lar and, together with its size, it took a long t ime to
d iscover since half the t ime it was not w here scientists expected to find a
planet.

nomical
Due to (ts nature of frequent ing the bad parts Of space, th is dwarf p lanet
was officially labe led as "Not to be trusted': by t he sc ientific commu nity.
•

Some astronomers have noticed variations in gravitationa l meas urements

aro und Ores . While o nly s light , perhaps there is somethi ng more to th is
gray dwarf.

■ Return to Game
 Locations/ Celestial Bodies/ Eeloo

The furthest planet from the sun, Eeloo is like a riddle, wrapped in a
mystery,inside an enigma, covered in ice.

nomical Sodety
. .
There's been a considerable amount of controversy around the status of
Eeloo as being a proper planet or just a "lump of ice going around the

The debate is still ongoing, as most academic summits held to address the
issue have devolved into, on good days, petty name calling, and on worse
ones, all-out brawls. ·
 Locations / Facilities

The Kerbal Space Center

This is the Kerbal Space Center (KSC). It is literally the center of the known universe (well, until you look
up). Here we'll run through the facilities, their career levels and limitations.

A More Return to Game

 Manual/ Construction Interface/ Vessel Crewing

l Crewing
The crew tab in t he co nst ru ctio n interface he lps yo u to ass ign kerba ls to t he seats in yo ur vesse l.

Crew Seats: Available Kerbals:

Here yo u wil l see a segme nt Th e kerba ls listed he re a re
for eac h part in the vessel t hat the ones on yo u r roster. Pay
has seats special attentio n to the ro le
and skill leve l of yo ur ke r bals,
Press t he A butto n to es pecia ll y in ca re er.
assi gn kerb als to seats
from th e ava ilable crew, If you run o ut you may need
o r remove ke rb a ls from to hi re mo re .
seats if yo u need a n
empty seat fo r a rescue .

Astronaut Complex:
Press ing X wil l take yo u to
the AC w here yo u ca n h ire (o r
fire) me m bers of you r space

. _...... . -
prog ram .
,

Moving Kerbals Around :

Yo u can ass ign kerba Is to positio ns by draggingt hem. or usi ng the t ick/cross buttons that are disp layed when yo ur
cursor is ov er o ne. There are lots of ways to ma ke sure you f ill a seat, but yo u'll still forg et som et imes.

■ Return to Game
 Locations / Facilities/ Vehicle Assembly Building

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)

Th e Vehic le Assembly Bu il ding (or VAB to those in the know) is the place where rockets and other
vertica lly launched spacecraft are designed.

From here they are moved over to the launc hpad fo r li ftoff.

Noll. Ignition ofrocket engines inside the VAB voids the KSC insurance policy

• Return to Game
 Locations / Facilities / Spaceplane Hangar

The Spaceplane Hangar (SPH)

Thi s facil ity is sim il ar to t he VAB, both being used for constructio n. The primary difference being the SPH
is designed for bui lding horizonta lly launched craft, that then use the attached Runway.

It is from here that ma ny a p lane has been designed to investigate the home planet.

Career Limits
Level 1: 30 parts and no action groups
Level 2: 255 parts and basic action groups
Level 3: Un li mited pa rts and all action groups

Return to Game
 Locations/ Facilities/ Tracking Station

The Tracking Station {TS)

At the Track ing Station, all ongo ing m iss ions can be viewed and flown. Landed craft can be recovered
from here as we ll .

It's a great place to get an overa ll view of your space program and who is out exp loring.

Leve l 1: Orbits in map and f light p lanning (with upgraded MC)

Leve l 2 : Patc hed con ics v isib le in map
Leve l 3: Patc hed co ni cs in map and unknown object track ing

Level 3
 Locations / Facilities / Astronaut Complex

The Astronaut Complex (AC)

Th e Astronaut Complex contains the living and recreation spaces for all your crewmembers. New
applicants also apply here to be recrui ted.

From t his facility you can manage your crew roster and check t he status of any kerba ls who may have
unfortunately gone missing.

Career Limits
Level 1: Roster li mit of 5 and no off-Kerbin EVA
Level 2: Roster li mit of 12 and off-Kerbin EVA allowed
Level 3: Roster unlim ited and off-Kerbin EVA allowed

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 Locations/ Facilities/ Mission Control

Mission Control (MC)

At the Mission Control faci lity, all available contracts can be managed. It also offers a very nice view of
the launch sites, for any brave enough to be so close to a launch ing vessel.

You can pick and choose t he next goa ls for your space program, and check out the prospective rewards.

Career Limits
Level 1: 2 active contracts, flight planning unava ilable
Level 2: 7 active contracts and fli ght plann ing
Level 3: Un limited active contracts and flight planning

Level3

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 Locations/ Facilities/ Administration Building

The Administration Building (Admin)

Th e Adm ini stration Bu il d ing may not seem li ke a very exciting place at f irst, but here is w here all the
strategic dec isions are made .

These strateg ies can help to focus your space program towards specific rewards and goa ls.

Leve l 1: 1 active strategy and 25% comm itment

Level 2 : 3 active st rategies and 60% commitment
Level 3: 5 active strategies and 100% comm itme nt

Level 3

• Return to Game
 Locations/ Facilities l Runway

The Runway
At the Runway, craft built in the SPH have a long flat surface to reach take-off speed. Conceivably, such
aircraft could even land back on it..

The 2.5km length is sufficent for a range of designs and sizes, making it the perfect place for all kinds
of tests.

Career Limits
Level 1: 20.0 x 15.0m - 18.0t
Level 2: 36.0 x 28.0m - 140.0t
Level 3: Unlimited

Level'3

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 Locations I Facilities/ Launch Pad

The Launchpad
The Launchpad is where vessels built at the VAB start their flights. We are reasonab ly confident it's at a
safe enough distance from everything else.

It is primar ily des igned for vertica l launches, but don't let that stop you from trying var iat ions.

Leve l 1: 20.0 x 21.2m - 18.0t

Leve l 2: 36.0 x 39.6m - 140.0t
Leve l 3: Un li mited

Level 3

■ Return to Game
 Locations/ Facilities/ Facilities Menus

Fadlities Management
You can access extra informati on about any of t he
faci lities in the KSC by pressing I ~I on it.
-
n, ..m,,.,,..,.,. ""''""'< - "°' '""'" ,., •
........ ....
-•-•'-"'"'-""'-·-
.............

In th is menu you can see i nformation about its

current state, capabi lities and in career mode
you can also manage upgrades.

-·--·-·- ____....-........._
Yolllde_,,,...,..._,,.
...........
. ...
acilities
•c----
·-·--·""-
~
......... ............
. ,...,
If due to some unforseen rocket, I mean
circumstance, a fac il ity is damaged - th is
is where you access the repair fu nction
as well.

Aftermath ofearly nght tum from the runway

■ Return to Game
 Manual / Construction Interface/ Scene Actions and Vessel Details

Scene Actions and Vessel Details CURSOR

Pressing _I you open a men u fr om w here y ou can cont ro l what happens to yo ur vessel.

Move vesse l t o launc hpad

~
or runway.

Load a previous creat io n.

I~R•tum to Sp•ct cu,t••~
Game Paused
Laut1c:h

Clea n t he slate and start

Open Craft New Craft
from scratch.
Save yo ur vesse l for late r. Save Craft Chan1e Flill

Rename Craft 0,1n1• description Set the f lag fo r t he cu rrent

vessel .
Senlnp Resume

You can al so set the

name and descri ption for A Sal■ ,;1; Re,um ■

th e curr ent vesse l.

■ Return to Game
 Locations/ Easter Eggs

Other Places of Interest

Throughout the so lar system there are many places to see and visit. This inc lu des a number of unus ual
objects a nd p laces of in terest.

I wo nder how m a ny yo u.ca n find?

 Sf)ace iTravel

To Boldly c;o Where No Kerbal Has c;one Before

Atthe heart of every space program is the drive to get out there and exp lore what's beyond t he home
p lanet. Here you' ll find information to help you succeed in trave llin g through space.

·A· Less ■ Return to Game

 Si:>ace Travel/ Orbital Definitions

Orbital Definitions
Without knowing how an orbit is described you might find it hard to get a vesse l to the right destination
in space. That's why it is important to understand the components of an orbit that will help you on the
way to a s uccessfu l space program.

In this section t he parts of orbits, and orbital mecha nics, that w ill he lp you to shoot for t he stars w ill be
exp lained (and maybe even some of the mathemat ics involved).
 Space Travel / Orbital Definitions/ Direction and Inclination

Orbit Direction
Orbits are described as prograde Prograde Orbit Retrograde Orbit
or retrograde re lative to the
planet's rotation.
Vessel
Direction
Orbiting the planet in the same
direction as its rotation direction
is a prograde orbit.

the color gradient ofthe orbit

line shows the direction ofrotation

,.,,. .
· Topviewo/Kerbin

lndination

Inclination is the angle an orbit

Equ nro rinl •
F' l.;ne- - - - - - - - differs from the equator of
the object its orbiting.

Side view of Kerbih

 Space iTravel /, Orbital Definitions/~-
Apoapsis and Periapsis

Shaping Up Your Orbit

The two apsides (apoaps is and per iaps is) are important points in describ ing an orbit.

Periapsis
The point on an orbit closest
to the obj ect yo u are orbiting.

Apoapsis
The poi nt on an Orbit furthest
from the obj ect you are orb it in g.

Top view of Kerbin

 Space iTravel / Orbital Definitions/ Eccentricity

What Is Eccentricity? Orbit eccentric ity describes how far from a circu lar orb it you are.

Circular Parabolic and

.Hyperbolic

Parabolic: Ecc = 7

Elliptical
Ecc< J

Topvtewo/Kerbin
 SJ)ace Travel/ Orbital Definitions/ Vessel Directions

Directions in Space
There are six d irections w hen look in g at a spaceship. These directi o ns are relat ive to
the orbit of the ship, so they w ill "move" as you burn or when you change Sphe re of
In f lu ence (SO I).

You ca n see th eir symbo ls and directi o ns ...,

'
. in relati o n t o th is sate ll ite be low.

Normal
A
Prograde

Radial In
Radial Out

Retrograde

Anti-Normal

■ Return to Game
 Space iTravel / Orbital Basics

So What Is the (ioal Here?

We w ill start w ith the bas ics of getting to orbit and back.

Omml (J;ffijijj,i?i&h,IJ
 SRace Travel/ Orbital Basics/ Orbits Defined

What is an Orbit?
An orbit is sometimes described as "falling and missing the ground." In the context of space trave l it 's
the way one object goes around another in space, and here it is about getting your vesse l to travel
around a body.

The most basic goa l of any Kerbin -based space program is to get into orbit and return back to Kerbin.

Hyperbolic · The gravity of Kerbin attracts the

spaceship in a curving path.

Your vessel needs .t o be moving

. at just the right velocity to stay in
orb it (as opposed to escap ing, or .
Worse, crashing) . •

Topvtewo/Kerbin
 Space Travel / Orbital Basics/ Atmosphere

The Atmosphere and You

Around Kerbin there is a thin layer of atmosphere. This layer is densest near
the ground and t;hins out to nothing as you get to space. Kerbin isn't the only
planet like this, but for this section it is what's important.

To stay in orbit you need to be in space or the drag from the atmosphere
will slow you down. If you were to try orbiting in the _
a tmosphere, you would

... ·•
need to have .the engines running all the time -which isn't really orbiting.
. "··,.

Around Kerb!n the atmosphere extends 70km from sea level, t6 where space
begins.
 Manual / Construction Interface/ Staging Stack and App Launcher

The Staging Stack and App Launcher CURSOR

With the staging stack you can set up the activities that will happen at each stage of the vessel's flight.
During flight you will see a version of this which shows some extra information. Alongside this is the
app launcher for the construction scenes.

Here we see the six stages of ---Moving Stages:

a vessel and the parts assigned You can select a stage pressing
to each stage. the A button and drag selected
one to change its order in the
When a stage is activated, the stack.
parts assigned to that stage are
activated. Moving Stages:
You ca,n select a part pressing
the A button and drag it
Add Stage Below: between the stages by moving
This will add an empty stage that is its icon.
ready to have parts dragged into it.
Empty Stage:
Remove Empty Stage: Ready to have parts dragged into
Deletes the stage next to the icon. it.
This only works for empty stages.
Reset Staging:
This will reset the staging to what
KSP "thinks" is the original state ...
App Launcher: be warned, letting computers
From here you can access think has caused problems
a range of information. before!

i\/ore. The staging stack is visible during flight as well, with some slight variations.

B Return to Game
 SJ)ace Travel/ Orbital Basics/ Getting UJ) Tliere

(joing Straight Up - Your First Mistake

So let's look at the simp lest met hod. Go iilg straig ht Up, the n turn in g East o nce yo u reac h your orb it
altitude.

This plan has two big prob lems: .

1. To hit your des ired altitude you need to "stop" your asce nt at the right heig ht.
2. You then need to add all the horizon tal ve locity to be orb iti ng.

· Do n't forget that what goes

up does come down

■ Return to Game
 Sf)ace iTravel / Orbital Basics/ Turning "with" Gravity

Turning ''With" c;rauity

The shape you see be low is called a gravity turn. In this ascent you
use gravity to trans late some of the thrust into horizontal ve locity.

This means you need far less fue l at apoaps is to ~cce lerate to the orb ita l veloc ity.

• ~
·. A key here is to ensure you do not acce lerate too
• fast, wasting fue l f ighting the atmosphere . •

.,,

■ Return to Game
 Space irravel /, Orbital Basics/ Staying Up There

Staying Up There
The gravity turn ascent w ill get you to orb ita l he ight, but it's not enough to keep you up there.

Once you reach the target altitude, you need to burn prograde to increase
your veloc ity. You burn until you are fast eno~gh to stay in orbit.

AtopoapsisburnPrograde -(r
_,' Ap

This is th e path if you

don't add more ve locity ·

■ Return to Game
 StJace iTravel / Orbital Basics/ Getting Back Down

Let's See How • c;et Back Down

Getting back down is re latively simp le. You burn in the
retrograde direction which w ill slow the vessel
enough to return to the surface .

Yo.u on ly need to slow t he vessel enough to

get inside the atmosphere, aerodynam ic
• d rag w ill slow yo u a lot as we ll.

Oh, and hope yo u packed .

t he chute ..

Landing

-------;~$-----------.,:,o:e~sc~e~n~t:::C:::C=::::::::____~-- CurrentOrbit
Burn retrograde here ,0._
 Space Travel / Orbital Maneuvers

Orbital Maneuuers
How to make maneuvers that adjust your vesse l's orbit. Bringing all these together you can end up
planning - and executing- a f light like be low to visit other worlds .

Enter

.,
,-'!.r••·
,a,· Piil ··············,-, ...
,................. -:----P•- --
._,. •
)Mun SO/

•' ) ,. ······· ..6 ........-, - -

'·
Mun Orbit
Injection Maneuver
•
•
..•.•··
....•·
........•· •' ...
........ ... .
·* -· · .~..;w
. ······ ......................................········ ...... . ······ •••.•
.... Transfer Orbit

(
E/ect1dn
Maneuver
 SJ)ate iTravel / Orbital Maneuvers/ DeltaV

Delta-v
Everything about moving in space is about changing your vessel's ve locity. Each maneuver is an equation
where you trade fuel for velocity, and this is measured in de lta -v.

De lta-v (or tw for short) is a measure of the imp ulse needed by a vessel to perform a maneuver.

Doing the Maths

Thinking in simp le straight li nes, a vesse l that is at Om/s requires a change in ve locity of 200m/s, a tw of
200m/s. To slow t he vessel (because there are no brakes in space) we need t9 add more veloc ity, but in
the ot her d irection. So to reach 1OOm(s we requ ire another tw of 1 OOm/s.

Accelemtlon
Ma_neiNer
200mls .

Bmking
Manewer • -.!■ DB ,
200mls ...,__ 100mls 100mls

"ng Three Dimensional

The simp le straig ht li ne example makes it seem easy, but space has more dime nsions. Over time you wi ll
see the correlatir::m of t his basic princ iple in every facet of orbital maneuver ing.
 SJ)ace Travel/ Orbital Maneuvers/~
ShaJ)ing
- -UJ)
Adjusting Ecc "city
You thrust in the prograde and retrograde directions to adjust the eccentricity of an orbit.

-····· ·------·---... ________

-....
••
Burning prograde w ill increase your · •
\ New
orb ita l ve locity and raise the altitude
/ Orbit
on the opposite side to your burn. •
••
•
_________ ,..
--.. .---

Retrograde
Burning retrograde will decrease your
Current
o_rbital ve locity and /owerthe altitude
Orbit
on the opposite side to your burn.

Topvtewo/Kerbin
 SJ)ate iTravel / Orbital Maneuvers/~
Adjusting
- - Inclination
Adjusting Inclination
Norma l / Anti -Norma l are the directions at 90 degrees to the current path of trave l, perpendicu lar to the
orb it 's plane.

Normal
Burning in the normal d irection pus hes your
future orbit to the "North."

Result of
•· Normal Burn
., ...................
b

Result of
Anti-Normal Bum

Anti-Normal
Burning in the anti-normal direction pushes
your f uture orbit to the "South ."

Side view ofKerbin - Orbit direction (progmde) con be seen from gradient.
 SJ)ace Travel/ Orbital Maneuvers/ Radial and Anti-Radial

Adjusting Your Orbit Radially

Radia l-In/ Radial -Out are the directions at 90 degrees to the current path of travel, pointing in and out.
Burn in g these direct ions "ro ll s" the orbit as you can see be low.

.--. ... .-. ~ .--,--...._

~

...--------
Radial~ln •
•••
Burning in towards the planet wil l •
•
lower the orbit ahead of your vessel. · Orbit :
•
•
• . ',
··-... _____ __
··-----
--.·- ..
..-······· ·-------....
_

in
_

•,
Radial-Out .
••
-
: - #

Burning out along t he plane will raise Current

••
Orbit : Orbit
your orb it ahead of your vesse l.
••
••
•
·-...__

Topvtewo/Kerbin
 SJ)ace Travel/ Orbital Maneuvers/ Hohmann Transfer

The Hohmann Transfer - Raising Your Orbit

An orbita l maneuver that transfers the vesse l from one circu lar orbit to another. Here is how to use
Hohman n 's design to move our orbit away from the p lanet (rais ing the orbit).

Target Orbit

Hohmann Transfer
..'........ . To raise your orb it yo u fo ll ow steps like:
1. Burn prograde; :.._
2. Watch for t he apops is po in t to reac h

..•..
: Start Here
."
.
··
4lit
your desired altitude;
3. Wa it till you reach the new Ap;
4. Now burn prograde to circu larize your
orbit; . · · ·· I;"'\,

.....
.
......:.
....... .. ....
• •
·•. Transfer Orbit .•·
......... ........ For an elli ptica l orbit the best place for
........' . .... ....•• Step 1. is the_Pe of the current orbit.
............. ...........
 Manual/ Construction Interface /.!!1gineers ReJ)ort

The Engineer's Report

This app can save you from disaster - if you're paying attention. The engineer's report lists things of note
about the vesse l under construction .

_
Enslneer's._Report
Basic Information : ~-

Here you wil l fin d things li ke part cou nt, size CtaftStats
and mass. In career mode you will see when Parts
you the hit the li mits of your fac ili ties. Ma ss
Siz e
He ight 70m/200m
Wi dth . 39m/150m
Le n ~ h 40m/150m
Checklist Severities:
There are three severity levels for checks:
Dolls• checldl!l
Show severity: -:l ..?.I, 0

,.,
o Informationa l
4 Warn ing • t-1 This command pod has
z, Critical crew assiined but no ..
pa rachut e attached

Design Checklist:
In the bottom ha lf of the app wi ll be the list
O (+)Emptycrewcab1ns
..1. (+) Hat ch Ob structed I
O (+ ) Unused MonoPropellan
re source~ -
~- _

~- -
1
~
'{OTJ/J
\ '/ '
~
of checks that may need your attention. You -~
don't have to fix t hese, but it is always a good
id ea to give them a once over.

■ Return to Game
 S1>ace Travel/ Orbital Maneuvers/, Hohmann Transfer (cont.)

The Hohmann Transfer - Lowering Your Orbit

This is the opposite of the last maneuver. Using Hohman n's design to move our orbit closer to the planet
(lowering the orb it).

Current Orbit

Hohmann Transfer
To lower your orb it you fo ll ow steps li ke:
1. Burn retrograde;
•
2. Watch for the periapsis point to reach

~,...·········
Target Orbit

.. 4lit
your desired alt itude;
• 3. Wait ti ll yo u reach the new Pe;

r-'\ ., ...
.

4. Now burn retrograde to circu larize your

._:::;:··· •. ,.f.... orbit;
x,:
••
•
....... .:':
............ ....•:,•
....... ......
.. . ....
Transfer Orbit

For an elli ptica l orbit the best place for

Step 1. is the_Ap of the current orb it.
 Space iTravel / Orbital Maneuvers/ Maneuver Efficiency

How to Maneuuer EfflCiently

Every maneuver you make uses prope ll ant and rockets have a finite supp ly. Choosing the best time (or
place) to make mane uvers determ ines whether you comp lete your mission, or have to get out and push.
Maneuver nodes are rea lly usefu l in t hi s "s ituation, they he lp you see t he "cost" of ma neuvers before
executing t hem.

Adjusting Apoapsis/Periapsis
Adjust in g the Ap/Pe is most effic ient at the oppos ite
node. This means burning at t he Ap to change the
Pe and vice-versa.

Us ing a maneuver node we can "see" this in an

examp le. The delta -v (llv) required to lower this
orbit's Pe to 50km at th ree points is shown be low.

Orbit Point 1 2 3

/Jelta-v 260 mis 128 mis 62 mis

Adjusting Inclination
Changing inclinat ion is most efficient where your orbit crosses the equator of the p lanet.

Matching Orbital Planes

Matc hi ng planes is a key maneuver invo lved in dock ing. The best place to do this is at the orb it nodes
labe ll ed Ascending/Descend ing Node (AN/DN). When you se lect a target object these ind icate where your
vesse l and the tcirget 's orb ita l planes cross.
 SJ)ace Travel / Orbital Maneuvers/ Orbit TyJ)es

Name That Orbit - Common Types

There are an infinite number of orbits around a body. Here you 'll see the names of some of the more
commo n types.

Low Kerbln Orbit (U<O)

Orbit with both the Pe and Ap be low 200km.

· Polar Orbit
Orbit with inclination of 90°, tak ing the vesse l
over the poles . .. . . ,
«-·,.·•
· EquCltorlal Orbit
Orbit with inclination of 0°, keeping the vesse l
over the equator.

(ieostotionClrg Orbit
· . Eq uatorial orb it'with a period eq ual to t he
planet's rotat io n. This means t he vesse l stays
above t he same po int on the surface .

KerbiSynchn>nous EquCltoriCll Orbit (KEO)

Geostationary orb it around Kerbin._
(Period: 6hrs, Altitude: 2863km)

KerbiSynchronous
 Rocketry

All things rocketry related, and maybe a little more as well.

A More Return to Game

 Rocketry / Basics

The Basics of Rocketry ·----t'---i---

The kerba l race has always wa nted to get into space. Here is some informa ti on
i
on how to m_ake this a _rea lity. - -
+-f-+-+-+-i-+-
' !
This informat ion shou ld he lp you to go from a pile of parts, li ke below, to a
control lab le rocket.

~-
••
'

~= ,
I

' A·1 More ■ Return to Game

 Rocketry/ Basics/ Forces

Forces That Apply to Roell

* Excludes ground impact force

When your vert ical thr ust is g~ea~e ~ t~a-~

your weight+ drag yo u are on your way
to the stars. I I ·
If it's the other way around you're headed • • ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
for less "stellar''. destinations .

Drag
_,_, ejght ++-+-t
This aerodynamic force is
caused by air res istance as the - Thi s force comes from gravity --
_: pu lli ng dow n on the rocket.
rocket moves through the air.
-1-: 7I .
r --+-
■ Return to Game
 center of Lift

center of Thrust

By building so the center of lift (Col) is behind the

center of mass (CoM), the aerodynamic forces on the
rocket will elp to keep it stable.

Stability I
I
This method is using some of the principles
of static stability to help keep you going in the
_cri -- - ·-
+-' j j I
-+--+-+-+--+- - -
1-t
.
+I ··,
---+-+-+=~=~=~=~~~~---1--t-'.,..'t",-+-'r ight directi orl.

'
•
--
'
. •

'

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics / Centered

Keeping to the Center_ ; .

Keeping your thrust centered will also help to keep things going
where ou want.
' - ,-,-, Center of Mass

center of Lift

,, .- center of Thrust
-•=- __;;., .

■"1.--j-j-j­ H-t To do this, build your rocket keeping the center of thrust (Col) ++7
pushing through the center of mass (CoM).

-a t-11;
- - i - _

This means that the engine will not apply rotation to

the rocket under thrust. Misa ligning this is like using
afire extinguisher in an office~--+~---+--
chair.

Aligned

"'Alo# Mission Control does not endorse the use ofjlre extinguishers as office chair propellant.
, , , , 1

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/~ ymmetry

Symmetrical Sensibility r
t-i;

Using radia l symmetry and snap you can quickly add 2, 3, 4, etc
parts around the center of the rocket. to mainta in good ba lance.
I '

~
--
Trying to add these manually .
is possible, but it wi ll never be
exactly balanced. If you do it
manually you will like ly requ ire
constant inputs to stay on
course.• _ _ _ __
' (

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry /, Basics/ Aerodynamics

Why Do You Need to Care About A yna~ics7 .

Designing your rocket with ae~odynamics and drag forces in mind can help you with ~fficency and
stability. - ~ ._ - I
.I
I

The design here is streamlined with

nosecones and parachutes on the
flat end plates. These help reduce
the drag force as it heads for space.

The des ign here is (I hope you can

te ll ) very bad aerodynamica lly-
however in terms of fun it 's going to
be a laugh.

■ Return to Game
 Manual/ Construction Interface/ Centers and Costs

Information on Centers and Costs CURSOR

Near the snap and symmetry controls you will find buttons to toggle the "center" indicators.

Vessel Cost and Funds

Th is info shows the cost of launching the curre nt vesse l,
inc luding the resources on board.

The second va lue is your avai lable Funds (if you 're in
27,280
career mode)

Center of Mass (CoM) Center of Thrust (CoT) Center of Lift (Col)

The center of mass is the place This marker shows the sum of all Thi s m arker shows the su m of all
where the sum of al l the ind iv idual the sources of thrust to generate the lift forces on th e vesse l. Much
components mass is balanced. th is marker. It displays the CoT of more on this in the section about
Th in k of it as the ba lance point. a ll the engines in the vesse l. a ircraft.

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/, Control

Let's c;et Some Control .--t-t~

When bui lding a vesse l you w ill use a number of contro l parts, and there are two typ~s of parts to
consider. Having one type and not the other w ill leave yo u f loundering for contro l.·
- - I _. ._
1·

r-1~- ..
RCS I
Thruster •

I
lSources
These parts apply force to the vesse l - via airflow over
j +-art \ s urfaces, torq ue from gyroscopes, gimballed engine
-+-~.c-,e-+~-+-J-- moveme nt and d irect thrust from thrusters.
. I I . I

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/ Engines ~

Types of Rocket Engines-· =- · · · · ___,·---t-- '

11 1 -
111
. Uqlid Fu~l lEngine ~ P~Wi ) +-i!!_t-+-tii-++~ I -
, I I I . I l .i..'!:..0-L.~!!~
· The primary engines for rockets . These have = I

I
-....... ,·--~=~=:=.+- .
var iab le thrust and require tanks of liq ui d
fue l (LF) and ox idizer (OX) attac hed. '
r., ~ 1--
--~~

/'
.... -
'
,,
,

11

RB)l-++- _
--

__
-

=~ ,.
As the name suggests t hese engines are
typica lly used as boosters to get th ings
moving. They carry the ir own fue l and( :=,~ -
once lit ca nnot be t hrott led or shut off. '-+-+--l
...I - ----I-
.J--.:
-
M

--•~= ] · On+--
n
'
I<
., n

0
~
I . Ion Engine l'-"t-+-'+- -
u u-+-+-~+-----
I -
1
, 1 1 , ; 1
·~ - - Th is fam ily of low thrust engines are part icular ly usefu l fas_
,;::._,.:::.
llli iii
probes . They ru n on Xenon Gas and Electric Charge (EC) and .
are palrticu lar ly usm
efu l for ~ong !ow
m thcm
ust_bm
~rnj's. ; -+-~ 1

. 1 1 m. . . .m . . .

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry /, Basics/ Supplies

Surely the most common of resour.ces.

Liquid Fuel (LF) And Oxidizer (OX) are 1

used together to power the _f!lajority of
~t=liil1:~J:tj~=t:::J:+tt----
_.
11
._
rocket eng ines.
I Electric Charge,(E~ I
EC is used by all electronic parts and is critical
for unmanned craft'. I I
--,--==~

The fue l that is used by high ly efficient ion

engines. Ion engines also need EC to run.

MonoPropella +- - I_ .

Use.~ mostly by the R (

for contro l" th . ~S, th is is the fu I
rusters +-!-l'" e
1 . i .

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/ Service and Science

cting Delicate S • ce Equipm_ent ~ -~·t-t-

when considering that we are li tera lly hur li ng stuff into space here, somet imes there is a need for
protection from the elements - both during liftoff and re-enr'ry_' - '1

. . . I - -
I

I
ce
' There are a range of experiments you ca n pe rform'w ith equ ipment
---+---
ra ng in g from fu ll b low n labs dow to de licate gravio li detectors.

Service Containers
These uti lity parts can ho ld a number
ber of sma ll compo nents
mber
to protect them from drag, eat and m inor co lli sion.
I II

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/ Rechargi!}g SUP.tJlies

Recharging Electrk Charge t-------,----t--,----t

Solar Panels I I
Lightweight and re li able, these come in a number
of sizes and shapes.I - L
I · • I ·-,
::::-'-4-

_:_t-
/4 I .

c-++- A constant and re liable source of EC. but

s ig nificantly heavier tha n oth er options.
1-· --++-
Engine At I I I
ators
I I
Many engines have built in alternators
that w ill generate varying amounts of
EC, dependi ng o n the t hrott le setti ng.
I I •

,__I
' ,--+-~H--t-t+"A _

'
'

j
_,.,
. .___
I-.
•
\ ',
I '
.
I

' '

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/ Parachutes

What goes up does come back down. It is much eas ier, and more
efficient, to use parachutes when landing on bodie_s t _
h at have an
~-+-
+--1-t- atmosphere . Compared to an eng ine bu ;n ~~~ t

ll! .
m ind that not all the places you visit have atmosphere .
II •
1-.

--
~
·~
The staging stack icon displays the state of each parachute . The
color of the backgro und shows how safe it is to stage. The icon's - - •
color shows the state of the staged chute.

Pocked Chlltes Sto ed Ch11tes

Safe to Dep loy

Risky to Deploy

Unsafe to Dep loy

Cut/ Shredded
 Rocketry/ Basics/ Hatches and Ladders

(ietting In and Out

Kerba ls leave and enter vesse ls through t he hatches on their
vesse ls. The hatches are not always in the same spot, but they
are clearly marked .
'
'
I I
Be sure not to land on or obstruct a hate h if you want to use it.

·-

' '

-
' ' -

Climbing Aboard -
' '
-

There is a range of ladders to h elp you get aboard for t hat return
'
leg. Sometimes the hatch is j u st out of reach without some helpfu l
steps. -

-·
,- It~ '

/- , .
...
'
- l

I I
I I
. I
l
• Return to Game
 Rocketry i Basics/ Multiple Stages

What's Up With Staging?

Carrying unneeded equipment with you uses much more fuel. Most rockets use stag~s to get rid of
used SRBs, e_ngines, fuel tanks] or other parts that are no longer re~ uired : - I

Staging starts at the highest stage

number. Each time you "stage" it
activates t he next one.

~
1·
Another benefit is that you are_n?t
go ing to try and land the who le
launch vessel. Just the important
partS~
1
I I

....._-i-----:;1-
S;;;J:0
, ,I:1, , 11-+-,-r . · •I · · ·
_~ St~glf!g':hi/e '!ngin~s a~ ~till ru~ning am have explosive consequences.
1

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Basics/ Stability Assist

nee to Stay Stable

Kerbal pilots and many probes can use the Stability Assist System (S.A.5.J. This can ·
help to keep your vessel pointed. in the desired direction. The S.A.S. modes can be ·
seen to the left of the NavBall here. -+-++± - -
I

At its most basic, S.A.S. wi ll hold the

head ing of yo ur vesse l, th is is ca ll ed
'
stab ili ty mode, -~-+-+-+- '
j~

More advanced modes all ow you to

target other directions, as shown
w ith the match ing NavBa ll markers.

= &

What's IPushing ·1
7 L I _
' I ,
S.A.S. uses control sources to app ly force to get you back on target. If there's not enough force you
may need more contro l parts, or a different design. :..i-+-I I

I II

■ Return to Game
 Rocketry/ Advanced

Aduanced Roell
With enough practice and a lit!le luck you'll be doing things like this i~ time.
. ..I i • . I t·mt1_JT_L_rt1,1·t I
!;"i_~

"'·.
• I ,;_,

.1 .... ,.• -,
' 1 ....
...
.I.

:-a

• -
.. ....
. •

•·• ~

A'1 More ■ Return to Game