
Several different kinds of engines exist in KSP: liquid engines draw their fuel from fuel tanks, while solid boosters have built-in fuel supplies. If your craft runs out of electricity and has no way of generating more, your craft will stop working.Īn engine. Uncrewed command pods (also called probe cores) are much smaller and lighter but typically require electricity to operate. They also don’t require any electricity to operate. Rockets need at least three things in order to fly:Ī command pod, which can be either crewed or uncrewed:Ĭrewed command pods are bigger and heavier but can carry Kerbals on missions. This mode offers a fun challenge, because it gives you a number of constraints to push against. In this chapter, we’ll be playing in Career mode.

There are no funds, contracts, or reputation, but you do need to earn science points to unlock parts. Science games are a halfway point between Career mode and Sandbox mode. You will also need to earn reputation points in order to get access to more complex and rewarding contracts. In addition, your Space Center will begin at a very rudimentary point, and you’ll need to upgrade it to enable your crew and spacecraft to perform certain tasks. In Career games, you must purchase your rocket parts with funds you’ll earn by accepting contracts, and accrue science points to research technologies that unlock new parts. There are no funding restrictions, and all parts start unlocked. You’ll be prompted to choose what type of game you want to play.

Launch the game, and you’ll be treated to a view of the main menu, shown in Figure 1-1. Let’s begin by starting a new game of Kerbal Space Program.
