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Latest Releases Download: GitHub, SpaceDock Source (DSEV), Source (WildBlueTools) BARIS Wiki Now with CKAN support! Kelbin looked out the window of the orbital transfer shuttle at his new command: The Discovery II! Its long truss assembly had several radiators attached to it to keep the ship's revolutionary fusion engine cool. Its liquid hydrogen tanks held enough propellant to let Discovery II leave for Jool at any time. It'll be a long journey, but the cryopods let the crew sleep the whole way. Before he knew it, Discovery II will reach Jool, and the crew will be investigating those strange readings... The Deep Space Exploration Vessels (DSEV) mod is inspired by numerous NASA studies on deep space exploration. With DSEV, you can create your on deep space exploration vessels, or kerbal versions of: Discovery II: Kopernicus: NAUTILUS_X: Features LEGO-like part design lets you recreate the NASA spacecraft in Kerbal form or create your own designs. Stand-alone approach minimizes required mods. Textures are shared by several parts to conserve memory. So even if you hide parts in favor of another mod's counterpart, the textures they use are shared by parts that don't overlap. All crew spaces have custom IVAs. Command pods have Optional support for ASET Recommended Mods (ASET IVA support requires RasterPropMonitor & ASET Props Community Edition) Dependencies The Spin Hub and Counter Torque Ring require Infernal Robotics. DSEV is a Kerbal Space Program mod by Wild Blue Industries. If you want to boldly go, we'll get you there. Screenshots Tutorial: Creating flags in KSP, which is the same process you'll use to create custom name tags: (http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Tutorial:Create_custom_flags!) Video tutorial on how to use the centrifuge DasValdez practices docking with his Discovery II fuel tank Acknowledgements Module Manager by saribian Modular Fuel Tanks MM configs by Kolago. Spindle and Spin Ring concept based upon parts by ZodiusInfuser/Sirkut. License Interstellar Fuel Switch patch - Use this patch if you're having problems with losing your resources and you have IFS installed.

The following are my thoughts, more or less on what I would do to distinguish KSP2 from KSP and make it a far greater experience if I were making the game. I'm not demanding these things, and understand that the structure and affordances of the game at a basal level may already be set in stone in many respects. Still, now is the time to talk about what can be made, while it's still a bunch of ideas in all our heads. What is KSP2 trying to surpass anyway? What is KSP1? KSP1 is a rocket simulator at its core, the "challenge" that the game entices the player with are the construction of working vehicles and the piloting of those vehicles to various destinations. There's never been much to "do" at those destinations, except take in the sights, maybe send a rescue mission, or try to build the biggest thing you can there. There didn't need to be more than that - KSP is about spacecraft design and flight, and teaches players about the challenges of spaceflight and the thrill of getting from here to there while trying to avoid blowing up. The science system acts as a simple form of guided progression, and science instruments don't provide much practical purpose except as a source of a currency for unlocking more diverse spaceship parts as a reward for traveling to new destinations with limited technology. The mission system also provides a set of design and flight challenges that act as "suggestions" if you're stumped on where you want to go next. What could KSP2 do that's "more" or "different" from that? Right now, KSP2 basically has all those things KSP1 does: The rocket simulator, the flight challenges, the unlockable parts, etc. It also has updated graphics to rival the best KSP1 mods, some slight changes to the UI, and an ecosystem of bugs almost as diverse as I'd expect to find by overturning a log in the Amazon. So KSP2 is using KSP1 as a base so far, to hopefully metamorphose into a new and different experience. There are a few main "new" aspects the devs seem to be working towards for KSP2, and while I see the beginnings of some of those inside the 'skeleton' of the game today, there are some things that have been carried over from KSP1 that I think don't help KSP2 grow to the greatest experience it can be and develop its own "personality" if they remain as they are. KSP1 was a "rocket" simulator. KSP1 helped players answer for themselves "Why should we build rockets?", to the point that the story of KSP players enrolling in aerospace engineering programs because of the game has become somewhat common. For this reason, I consider KSP to be the best game. (I myself graduated as an aerospace engineer last year, though I can't say that KSP inspired it - I was already committed to becoming an astronaut long before I heard of the game. I've had interviews with SpaceX for various positions in recent months, but no offers yet.) Where KSP1 was a "rocket" simulator, I see KSP2 as trying to be a "space program" simulator. In KSP1, the player could build powerful rockets and touch down on any body in the solar system, but it would occur in isolated missions or voyages. Where KSP1 asked players "Why should we build rockets?", KSP2 seems to want to ask a question more like "What should we USE our rockets for now that we've built them?". The colonies, base-building mechanics, and interstellar destinations seem to point to a goal of letting players create a vibrant ecosystem of space travel. Instead of singular missions and tiny labs in space, we would be creating cities on the planets and trade routes between them, with complex exchanges of resources and technology culminating in the assembly of an interstellar vessel and the opening of the wide frontier. I think KSP2 has an opportunity to teach players not just about how rockets go from here to there, but about how they gather the information while exploring that leads to scientific discoveries and better informed designs of new vessels, and about the realistic challenges of living and building on another planet, and, most importantly, about exactly what makes it worthwhile to go to all that effort of leaving our perfect blue marble behind and actually trying to live there. To that note, there are a few specific aspects of the game that are presently implemented in a way that I think will be detrimental to those goals (which I just made up in my head) if they continue to build directly off of KSP1 and the simple precursors in the game now. These are the main aspects that I think should be overhauled to make KSP2 a grand step forward from KSP1: Realistic Science Currently, science in KSP2 functions purely as a currency for unlocking new ship parts. The experiment modules themselves don't provide any useful information, and the game doesn't go out of its way to tell you what was learned from each experiment. The experiments are all packaged together in a mysterious bundle, and the only interaction from the player is a simple reaction to the blinking "science" button, to click and receive science points. This is based directly on science in KSP1, which had the same function as a currency but allowed more direct viewing of the readings from some instruments like thermometers and barometers. I think KSP2 has an opportunity to embrace science in a more realistic way, and bring a taste of actual science for players. The repeated clicking on individual experiments from KSP1 doesn't need to return for this, but perhaps an "experiment manager" window or some other form of more in-depth interaction would be warranted. What I mean by this is for the science experiments to act as sensors measuring quantitative qualities of the environment. Examples of this would be a probe dropping into the atmosphere of a planet with a barometer and thermometer and creating graphs of pressure and temperature by altitude for that planet, or a spacecraft orbiting a planet with LIDAR to map its terrain for the first time, while the player would not be able to see the surface detail up close in map view or with probes before doing that. The player could gather actual scientific data, and the game could guide them into understanding why they've learned something about the planet by doing what they've done ("See the spikes in your spectrometer reading? Those prove that there is water on Duna!" "You measured a dip in this star's brightness, that must have been caused by its planet!") I recall the devs mentioning the idea of not giving the player all the information about planets right away, and players having to "discover" at least some celestial bodies on their own. I think this idea of the player gradually building up their own "discovered world" based on their own measurements helps with that, and I hope science gains a lot more depth and realism in KSP2 in the future. Some of the science experiments I can think of: -Magnetometers that can map planets' and stars' magnetic fields over time by orbiting them, and can help forecast solar storms -Spectrometers that give spectra for stars, planet atmospheres, and surface samples, which the player can look over to characterize composition -RADAR, LIDAR, and cameras that allow the player to record detailed maps of surface topography -Telescopes with various specialized instruments and wavelength ranges for observation of deep space objects, exoplanet discovery, and mapping the stellar neighborhood Player-Driven Exploration With discovery at the forefront of the game, I think the player will have all the incentive they need to drive the direction of their space program on their own. Want to explore the Sun? Prioritize radiation and magnetic science parts. Made an unexpected fascinating discovery about Jool? Drum up the resources for a planetary probe. Prefer visiting Minmus over the Mun? Focus the game on that destination. Show the player the options, and let them choose their own goals. A big place where I feel the game falls short of this are the anomalies. Instead of encouraging the player to go to space to learn about their environment and place in the universe, about the natural beauty of the world, the game sets the main goal as learning about the ancient aliens who were in the Kerbol system. I think having those artifacts in the game is no problem at all, and can make for a really cool adventure, but no part of the game should tell us to go seek them out or visit them. I would implement them far more subtly, requiring the player to discover them through actual anomalies in the data they gather as they explore. For instance, mapping out the magnetic environment around the Mun with an orbiting probe and discovering a strong localized magnetic field that reveals the location of the Mun arch. No Keri Kerman telling us that there is an arch, no mission handed to us by the game - all the incentive and excitement can come from a pure "What's THAT?" as the player discovers a tantalizing measurement. Then, visiting the arch (which should probably be covered up to begin with until excavation is possible) could allow discovery of an actual signal, a puzzle which would need to be deciphered by the player. Another example would be finding nearby stars and exoplanets. Once the player has the technology to do parallax measurements and light curves of stars, the game shouldn't tell them where to look in the sky. They should just be able to start a sky survey or point their telescope at whichever star they like, and see what they find. They might not know about all the same planets as some other player does, and when the time comes to launch their interstellar vessel they'll choose a different star to point it at, based on what they've discovered. Resources As the game progresses into colony-building, I'm sure the focus on material resources will grow, as now it isn't there but I can see the place for it in the game. On extraplanetary bases, it's obvious that there will be a limited budget of raw materials, metals, oxygen, etc. with which to build rockets, buildings, and other machines, with that budget coming from resource extractors and mining of the surface through combing, excavating, and drilling the planets. Other planets would also have alternate materials available like regolith for buildings, roads, and launch pads. On Kerbin, presumably advanced industry elsewhere on the planet is able to supply KSC with an "allowance" of materials and parts, which don't necessarily need to be limited by cost in money units, but could be limited by quantity available, especially for specialized parts like probe cores and science instruments. For instance, "There are 6 FL-T200 fuel tanks available" or "There are 3 probe cores and 1 capsule available". Part of the player's directive for exploration could be the strategization of prioritizing production/purchase of certain kinds of parts and materials. Probes vs. space station modules, longer range antennas, different types of experiments...These would make every player's "space program" unique and personalized. Conclusion This is basically my outline for what I personally imagine KSP2 could be like in the future. The main aspects I see in this "speculative" version of KSP2 are: Science experiments functioning in a realistic way, as sensors that observe the environment, and conclusions about the universe being drawn from those observations, as well as useful information for designing and piloting vehicles in those environments Player-driven exploration, with much less direction coming from the mission system as to what to focus on or find important A focus on material resources for production of parts, vehicles, buildings, and missions that is adaptable to the player's self-determined goals There are a few places in the game where I see gameplay mechanics that I think will prevent KSP2 from achieving these aspects if they are left as they are and taken for granted. Mainly these are copied from KSP1: The "science point" system and its dynamic with the tech tree Exploration being driven by "missions" where the game tells you where you should go and what aspects of space exploration you should consider important I think those aspects from KSP1, which themselves were added after the core identity and function of the game were fairly well established, should be rethought and reworked to better fit the mission of KSP2. I'm not demanding that they be changed or made to fit what I've described here, my only request is that they not be taken for granted just because they're the status quo. I know this is just my idea, and I'm sure the actual game could turn out very differently from what I've described and still be a very good game. The devs have no doubt been thinking and shooting ideas around about these very topics for years longer than I have, too. Developers, thanks for listening to the community, and thanks for your dedication and commitment to trying to make something even greater than the best game ever.

I've been playing out a potential abstract version of the game in my mind, taking into account some possible tech progression and exploration inventive elements that have been hinted. Let's assume there's no boring abstract system of farmable science points. Every tech "unlocks" automatically for you depending on three things: - if you did the science experiments for the tech - if you found / harvested the resources necessary - if your level of knowledge and discoveries is sufficiently advanced (every part could have hidden milestone triggers that unlock it) Let's also assume that we obtain useful information about the universe only through practical science (ground and space telescope, sending probes, doing experiments etc.). This information then allows us to design more complex successful missions. Let's also assume that the progression also favors unmanned before manned missions, as it should. And that kerbals need life support because manned missions are damn hard. And that there are good incentives to build space stations (science, mining asteroid resources, and orbital construction etc.) and colonies (science, discovery of planetary points of interest, transportation infrastructure, resource mining etc.). Let's assume that we need to build and upgrade the communications network. Let's assume we have to explore and exploit the Kerbolar system first, then investigate other stars, exoplanets, build the necessary knowledge and material infrastructure that allows us to design interstellar ships and send them hurling into space. Then we get there and start over. Let's also assume we take into account the long and slow process of prototyping, testing and iterative design. And the accidents. And the story / lore / mysteries / Easter eggs. Well, my worry is this: it's a damn huge amount of work even without any grinding! It makes me afraid for my adult and family life! Who is going to be able to do everything in this game, in a gratifying slow and methodical way, with all the difficulty settings and optional systems turned on? This game is going to take us years to go through. How is there going to be time to explore multiplayer features if we start with single player only? I really think multiplayer has to be baked in or directly linked with the single player adventure. I see no other way to put everything in this game and still allow players to try it all.

I know that having telescopes and gradually obtaining information about celestial bodies is already semi-confirmed by this comment. But what do you think about also having a some filters / overlays for unmanned craft 3rd person view that improve as technology gets better? Some combinations of.. black and white vintage / sepia noisy blurry VHS CRT fake colors instruments (infrared, ultraviolet) etc. best color version would be the same as the manned craft 3rd person view of course. This would differentiate between manned and unmanned craft and give a better gameplay experience for tech progression. It could be applied to first-time visits based on tech level, to limit information and incentivize discovery. After sending better probes or manned missions the image could be normal. Also we could also have: telescope (science instruments) that can zoom in when orbiting / passing by a planet so we could see things happening on the surface or more details ability to record videos

Joolian Discovery (JOOL) Eleven parts to construct ships inspired by the Discovery One in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Information: This parts pack is inspired by the USS Discovery One ship, from the 2001: A Space Odyssey feature film. It is not meant to be an exact replica, nor is it constructed to scale. However, it's meant to be highly reminiscent of that ship, with the correct general overall shape and proportions. After searching for similar models made by other KSP modders, and finding that little had been done, I decided that it fell to me to fill the void. We hope you enjoy this pack. If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to send a private message to NecroBones on the KSP forums. Thanks! By @zer0Kerbal, originally by Ed T. Toton III a.ka. @NecroBones/Orvidius Features This mod adds eleven custom parts Parts Invoice: Cabin notes Have a request? Glad to have them! Kindly submit through GitHub. Help Wanted Localization - work in progress How to support this and other great mods by zer0Kerbal See More Discussions and news on this mod: See Discussions or KSP Forums Changelog Summary for more details of changes : See ChangeLog Known Issues for more details of feature requests and known issues : See Known Issues Installation Directions Use or or Dependencies Kerbal Space Program 2 Supports On Demand Fuel Cells (ODFC) 3 TweakScale Connected Living Spaces RealChute *red box below is a link to forum post on how to get support* Be Kind: Lithobrake, not jakebrake! Keep your Module Manager up to date Credits and Special Thanks Legal Mumbo Jumbo (License provenance) Current (1) - @zer0Kerbal Original (0) - Author: @NecroBones/Orvidius Part of the NecroBones suite of mods, that work nicely together:** Modular Rocket Systems (stock-alike parts pack, NASA-like alternatives, and filling the gaps) (Also: LITE version) SpaceY Heavy Lifters Parts Pack (stock-balanced large rocket parts, 5m parts, large SRBs) (Also: Expanded upgrade) Color Coded Canisters (beautification replacement models/textures for stock tanks, with color-coded end caps, and auto-closing shrouds) Fuel Tanks Plus (collection of large stock-like tanks with Color Coded Canister style) ColorFuel Lines (color-selctable fuel lines) Lithobrake Exploration Technologies (lander parts, large chutes/legs/ladders/etc) Track progress Footnotes this isn't a mod. ;P ↩ ↩2 may work on other versions (YMMV) ↩ Be Kind: Lithobrake, not jakebrake! Keep your Module Manager up to date! ↩

Joolian Discovery Inspired by the USS Discovery One from 2001: A Space Odyssey --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supports TweakScale and AVC. Contains some settings for Snacks, Life Support, and RemoteTech2 IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an EARLY BETA -- While we'll try to avoid breaking people's savegames with future updates, it may be unavoidable at some point. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future plans: Add a proper IVA. Right now it's using a generic stock interior. (updated: IVA in progress. Half-completed copy included) Maybe add a working pod bay. Ideally, I want the pod-bay doors to work, and also add EVA pods as well. Interesting notes: Command pod functions as a probe-core when no crew are on board. Heh. The command pod also has RemoteTech2 modules to function as a probe core within that mod. The boom-segments come in 1x, 2x, and 3x lengths to help you keep the part-count down, and also minimize the "twisting snake" effect. In the "movie configuration", with 6 segments in front of the antenna, and 4 behind it, this can be done with two parts on either side of the antenna mount. The ship is pretty solid this way. Crew capacity is 5, though no one goes into hibernation on THIS Discovery. The engines and fuel tanks use their own specialized fuel. This is of course incompatible with the stock fuels, but this seemed like a good opportunity to make something that is slightly more realistic (nuclear engines don't use oxidizers). Includes a radially-attachable monolith. It's silly, but it it can be used for "rapid gravitational acceleration" (drop) tests in career mode (via contracts, as a staged decoupler). Or you can just send them off into space, or whatever you want. Some of the parts are multi-function. The command pod, neck adapter, and engine "block" all have reaction wheels. The neck-adapter is also a large battery, and the engines function as RTGs. If you're using Life Support, the command pod contains the equivalent of the 2.5m general life-support and waste collection units. For career/science games, all of the parts are in the 1000-point tech tree nodes, since they're "advanced" and "experimental" technologies, with specialized fuel. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image Gallery: (Note that the stats, appearances, and descriptions of the parts shown below are subject to change, or may be out of date) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Information: This parts pack is inspired by the USS Discovery One ship, from the 2001: A Space Odyssey feature film. It is not meant to be an exact replica, nor is it constructed to scale. However, it's meant to be highly reminiscent of that ship, with the correct general overall shape and proportions. After searching for similar models made by other KSP modders, and finding that little had been done, I decided that it fell to me to fill the void. Installation: Please backup your savegames first! This is always recommended when adding or updating mods. Simply copy the "JoolianDiscovery" folder into your GameData folder. If upgrading from a previous version, be sure to delete the old one from GameData first (this is the cleanest option). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Download: SpaceDock -or- Curse.com download page -or- ksp.necrobones.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Change History: 0.8 (2015-08-14) - Tweaks. - Added Community Tech Tree support, moving parts to more advanced tech nodes. - Added a radially-attachable KAL-9999 probe core, using existing art assets. 0.7 (2015-08-11) - Monolith tweaks. - Monolith scaled up 85% to give it dimensions close to the TMA-1 monolith from 2001. - Monolith given a probe core, small reaction wheel, battery, internal generator. - Monolith classified as a "Space Object" instead of debris. - Monolith mass drasitcally reduced, to give it air-density, as mentioned in the 2010 book. - Monolith texture problem fixed. Should be black again. - Monolith now has top and bottom stack nodes, in addition to its surface attachment node. 0.6 (2015-05-01) - KSP 1.0.1 corrections - Adjusted engine heat & thrust for KSP 1.0.1 compatability. - Converted textures to DDS format. 0.5 (2015-04-30) - Beta Release - Added more advanced SAS functions to the command pod - KSP 1.0 compatibility updates - Re-assigned tech-tree locations. - Now uses LiquidFuel instead of NuclearPropellant. 0.4 (2014-10-30) - Beta Release - Tiny bit more progress on IVA - Fixed IVA seat orientations - Slightly brightened exterior textures. - Switched textures back to MBM format for best performance and memory usage. 0.3 (2014-10-07) - Beta Release - Fixed texture problem in the neck-adapter part. 0.2 (2014-10-07) - Beta Release - Added a starter IVA (work in progress) - Changed version file to not be as picky about KSP version 0.1 (2014-10-03) - Inital Beta Test

Cover Photo Gene (JEEN): Go for launch? Hayene (HYE-een): Yep. For sure. Gene: Okay. T-minus 10...9...8...7...6...ignition sequence start...4...3...2...1...and liftoff! Hayene: I hope we will survive! Hope and pray! Theorie (THEER-ee): Well, keep hoping, sister! This may be the last of us! Hayene: Hey ATONE-3192...what's our current chance of survival? ATONE (AY-tohn): Your chance is currently a 75%. Theorie: Never tell me the odds! ATONE: Never tell me whether or not to tell you the odds. Theorie: What the...thanks for the sarcasm. ATONE: We are beginning our gravity turn now. Prepare for a little bit of wobble with the ship. Don't panic. Hayene: There is a time for panicking, don't you know? ATONE: The solid rocket boosters have ran out of fuel. Prepare for an explosion. Theorie: Explosion? WHY? ATONE: Whoops. Already happened. Pitching further down. Prepare for wobble. Theorie: Wobble... Hayene: It's only natural, with the highly experimental engine that we are using down below. Theorie: Natural...pfft, nothing here is NATURAL! Hayene: Stop being a pain, brother! Theorie: Yeah, right...like I'm gonna pay attention to my twin. Hayene: Well, I just hope you don't jeopardize the mission! ATONE: The main engine has cut off. We will now be initiating the orbit insertion burn. Hayene: About time! After 1 minute... ATONE: We have been inserted into a Low Kerbin Orbit. The Science/Comms Module, the Pods, and the Propulsion Modules will be coming sometime soon. Hayene: Great! We're alive! Theorie: You know what...I feel like going on EVA. ATONE: You cannot go on EVA until the pods have been supplied. Theorie: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop giving orders! Theorie opens the can door... Theorie: Wow...what a beautiful sunrise! To be continued...

I discovered 3 mysterious islands on Laythe when trying out Hyperedit. I teleported to Laythe to find these in the distance. As I inspected further, it became more and more astonishingly similar to an Easter Egg. The Islands are different from the rest of Laythe's landmass. They are perfect spheres all in a straight line. They are not part of Laythe's terrain! You cannot land on these islands, making it impossible to plant a flag on them. The Islands are at roughly the same coordinates as the KSC Launchpad back at Kerbin. They are not visible in the map. Of course, to document my discovery of the islands, I have multiple screenshots. Jeb looks just as surprised as I was to discover purple islands on Laythe. I thought those only existed on Eve! As you can see, my game rendered Laythe's normal land properly, indicating that these islands have a different texture. If you look closely, you can see that these islands are actually not part of Laythe, leaving very little possibility outside a glitch with a mod I have or an Easter egg! I want you guys to try and find these islands and see if you have them in your game and help me name these weird islands.