
Note to My Readers: I rarely promote a new consumer product in my blog posts, but as I am a space enthusiast (and this comes to me from a colleague who is deeply involved in the Citizen Space / Space Arts movements), this new game is just too cool and fun-sounding to let pass…and I’m not even a ‘gamer’! (plus, early versions of the game are free to download and play!).
How often do we non-rocket scientists (I hesitate to use the term ‘space junkies’) get to develop our own space program with missions and goals of our own choosing? Well, never, actually. But now you can — at least, in virtual space.
I have previously reported here on new 3D printing tech being used to build a ‘moon base’, but this game, though virtual, is a lot more expansive. And who knows? Perhaps some innovative solution (to a space travel challenge) or exploratory mission (to boldly go…) — or several — may emerge from all this space play…pretend missions that might have direct bearing or impact on life here on Earth…So then:
Your mission: build a space-worthy craft capable of flying a human crew into space and returning them to Earth…without killing them in the process…
Ladies and Gentlemen…I give you: Kerbal Space Program
What is ‘Kerbal Space Program’?
(The following information comes directly from the forwarded email; note: the game is still in development {‘open sandbox’}, but is ready for initial “flight testing”)
Game Features:
- The Vehicle Assembly Building and the Space Plane Hangar allows players to build spacecraft out of any imaginable combination of parts.
- Fully-fledged, Physics-based Flight Simulation ensures everything will fly (and crash) as it should.
- Take your Kerbal crew out of the ship and do Extra Vehicular Activities
- Fly out to Moons and other Planets
- Procedural Terrain delivers detailed terrain at a vast scale. The Kerbal Planet is 600km in radius!
- Mod-enabled, allows players to create new content and modify the game.
- Ship systems. Keep an eye out for engine temperatures and fuel levels, and try not to explode.
- Build ships with multiple stages, and jettison parts away as they burn out.
- Full control over the staging sequence allows for complex ships and advanced functionality.
Planned Features:
- Take on Missions to attract interest in your Space Program. Or use the Mission Planner to create your own missions.
- Manage your Space Program. Hire astronauts, train them, research and improve parts.
- Build Space Stations, and surface bases on other worlds.
- And a whole lot more!
Check out this promo video for KSP! (more important info below):
A Few Notes from the KSP development team: