I am a few months into KSP and I was not enjoying Career mode. I wanted to explore the Kerbol System in a logical way, but without the extra restrictions of Career mode. Science mode seemed like the answer, if I could do it without having to grind, or to do missions that were more science focused than exploration/progression focused.
So here you have my “Logical Progression” Science Mode guide. There is minimal non-destination science or biome hopping, and each mission gets you progressively further into the Kerbol system.
Part 1 – Kerbin and it’s Moons
Mission 1 – Learn to Science!
Mission 2 – Go to Space!
Mission 3 – Orbit Kerbin!
Mission 4 – Fly by the Mun!
Mission 5 – Land a Probe on the Mun!
Mission 6 – Land a Kerbal on Minmus! (and Return)
Part 2 – Interplanetary Travel
To be continued…
*Note - This guide does not teach you how to play KSP. Use the in-game tutorials and/or watch Scott Manley videos on YouTube.
Mission 1 – Learn to Science!
- We don’t have the technology to get to space yet, so we’ll just learn how to science
- In the VAB, build a ship with
o Mk1 Command Pod
o Mystery Goo Containment Unit
- Name/Save the ship and Launch
- From LaunchPad
o Crew Report (1.5)
o EVA Report (2.4)
o Take Surface Sample (9.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (3.0)
- Recover Vessel (Mission 15.9/15.9 Total Science)
- In the R&D Facility unlock
o Basic Rocketry (5)
o Engineering 101 (5)
o 5.9 remaining
- The liquid fueled engines and decouplers should help get us to space and back
Mission 2 – Go to Space!
- We should be able to use the liquid fueled engines to escape the atmosphere
- In the VAB, build a ship with
o Mk1 Command Pod
o Mk16 Parachute (Stage 0)
o 2x Mystery Goo Containment Unit
o 2x 2HOT Thermometer
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 1)
o 5x FL-T100 Fuel Tank
o 4x Basic Fin
o LV-45 “Swivel” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 2)
- Name/Save the ship and Launch
- Launch!
- In Space Near Kerbin
o Crew Report (5.0)
o EVA Report (8.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (10.0)
o Log Temperature (8.0)
- Decouple and Parachute down
- From wherever you landed (try to save Kerbin’s Water for later missions)
o EVA Report (2.4)
o Take Surface Sample (9.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (3.0)
o Log Temperature (2.4)
- Recover Vessel (8.0) (Mission 55.8/61.7 Total Science)
- In the R&D Facility unlock
o General Rocketry (20)
o Stability (18)
o Survivability (15)
o 8.7 Remaining
- Larger fuel tanks and radial decouplers should get us an orbit-worthy ship
Mission 3 – Orbit Kerbin!
- We don’t have an efficient enough engine to get to the Mun so we’ll settle for high orbit
- In the VAB, build a ship with
o Mk1 Command Pod
o Mk16 Parachute (Stage 0)
o 2x Mystery Goo Containment Unit
o 2x 2HOT Thermometer
o 2x PresMat Barometer
o Heat Shield (1.25m)
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 1)
o 5x FL-T200 Fuel Tank
o 4x AV-T1 Winglet
o LV-45 “Swivel” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 2)
o 2x TT-38K Radial Decoupler (Stage 2)
o 2x RT-10 “Hammer” Solid Fuel Booster (Stage 3)
o 2x Aerodynamic Nose Cone
- Name/Save the ship and Launch
- In Space High Over Kerbin (250KM)
o Crew Report (7.5)
o EVA Report (12.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (15.0)
o Log Pressure Data (18.0)
o Log Temperature (12.0)
- De-Orbit, Decouple and Parachute down
- From wherever you landed, as long as it’s not the same place as before (Water gives more)
o EVA Report (2.4)
o Take Surface Sample (9.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (3.0)
o Log Pressure Data (3.6)
o Log Temperature (2.4)
- Recover Vessel (10.0) (Mission 94.9/103.6 Total Science)
- In the R&D Facility unlock
o Advanced Rocketry (45)
o Basic Science (45)
o 13.6 Remaining
- The LV-909 “Terrier” is our ticket to the Mun
Mission 4 – Mun Flyby!
- Let’s try to get a closer look before trying to land (and some science for a nice probe)
- In the VAB, build a ship with
o Mk1 Command Pod
o Mk16 Parachute (Stage 0)
o 2x Mystery Goo Containment Unit
o 2x 2HOT Thermometer
o 2x PresMat Barometer
o SC-9001 Science Jr.
o Heat Shield (1.25m)
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 1)
o FL-T400 Fuel Tank
o LV-909 “Terrier” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 2)
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 3)
o 3x FL-T400 Fuel Tank
o 4x AV-T1 Winglet
o LV-45 “Swivel” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 4)
o 2x TT-38K Radial Decoupler (Stage 4)
o 2x BACC “Thumper” Solid Fuel Booster (Stage 5)
o 2x Aerodynamic Nose Cone
- Name/Save the ship and Launch
- For an extra challenge, go for a free return trajectory
- In Space High Over The Mun
o Crew Report (10.0)
o EVA Report (16.0)
o Observe Materials Bay (50.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (20.0)
o Log Pressure Data (24.0)
o Log Temperature (16.0)
- De-Orbit, Decouple and Parachute down
- If you happen to land somewhere new, grab some extra science
- Recover Vessel (12.0) (Mission 148.0/161.6 Total Science)
- In the R&D Facility unlock
o Flight Control (45)
o Electrics (90) (26.6 Remaining)
- The OKTO, Photovoltic Panels, and Reaction Wheel will be essential to our probes
Mission 5 – Land a probe on The Mun!
- Time to try a landing…without putting any Kerbals at risk
- In the VAB, build a ship with
o Probodobodyne OKTO
o 4x OX-SAT Photovoltic Panels
o 4x Z-100 Rechargeable Battery Pack
o Small Inline Reaction Wheel
o Communotron 16
o 2x 2HOT Thermometer
o 2x PresMat Barometer
o SC-9001 Science Jr.
o 2x Mystery Goo Containment Unit
o FL-T200 Fuel Tank
o 4x LT-05 Micro Landing Strut
o LV-909 “Terrier” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 0)
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 1)
o 4x FL-T400 Fuel Tank
o 4x AV-T1 Winglet
o LV-45 “Swivel” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 2)
o 2x TT-38K Radial Decoupler (Stage 4)
o 2x BACC “Thumper” Solid Fuel Booster (Stage 5)
o 2x Aerodynamic Nose Cone
- Name/Save the ship and Launch
- In Space Near The Mun
o Observe Mystery Goo (12.2)
o Log Pressure Data (25.2)
o Log Temperature (16.8)
- Landed on The Mun
o Observe Materials Bay (49.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (16.8)
o Log Pressure Data (33.6)
o Log Temperature (22.4)
- Return to KSC (Mission 176.0/202.6 Total Science)
- In the R&D Facility unlock
o Fuel Systems (90)
o Landing (90) (22.6 Remaining)
- The external fuel duct will help us design a return vehicle for a Minmus mission
Mission 6 – Land a Kerbal on Minmus! (and Return)
- Finally it’s time to go where no Kerbal has gone before
- In the VAB, build a ship with
o Mk1 Command Pod
o Mk16 Parachute (Stage 0)
o 2x Mystery Goo Containment Unit
o 2x 2HOT Thermometer
o 2x PresMat Barometer
o Heat Shield (1.25m)
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 1)
o FL-T100 Fuel Tank
o LV-909 “Terrier” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 2)
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 3)
o SC-9001 Science Jr.
o 2x FL-T200 Fuel Tank (Beside the Science Jr.)
o 4x Aerodynamic Nose Cone (Top and Bottom)
o 2x FTX-2 External Fuel Duct (Fuel tanks to Terrier)
o LV-909 “Terrier” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 4)
o 4x LT-1 Landing Struts
o TD-12 Decoupler (Stage 5)
o 3x FL-T800 Fuel Tank
o 4x AV-T1 Winglet
o LV-45 “Swivel” Liquid Fuel Engine (Stage 6)
o 4x TT-38K Radial Decoupler (Stage 6)
o 4x BACC “Thumper” Solid Fuel Booster (Stage 7)
o 4x Aerodynamic Nose Cone
- Name/Save the ship and Launch
- In Space Near Minmus
o EVA Report (32.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (40.0)
o Log Pressure Data (48.0)
o Log Temperature (32.0)
- Landed on Minmus
o Crew Report (25.0)
o EVA Report (40.0)
o Take Surface Sample (150.0)
o Observe Materials Bay (125.0)
o Observe Mystery Goo (50.0)
o Log Pressure Data (60.0)
o Log Temperature (40.0)
- Retreive Data from the Science Jr.
- Decouple and Launch back to Kerbin
- De-Orbit, Decouple and Parachute down
- If you happen to land somewhere new, grab some extra science
- Recover Vessel (37.5) (Mission 679.5/702.1 Total Science)
This should be more than enough science to escape Kerbin’s SOI and go interplanetary!
