Do Kerbals Hibernate?

[Jett_Quasar]

We've all done it, sent a Kerbal on a multi-year mission to a far-off moon alone in a lander can with nothing to entertain themselves except those cute little buttons and dials( not to mention the notion that they may never make it to the surface, or see their home planet again)... and of course no long-term life support. I always just assumed that Kerbals could hibernate you know just like squirrels - just turn down the thermostat and sleep for six months (or years). With the new update to V1.1 there is talk of adding a requirement for life support, which is good but I wonder if there will be an option to put your Kerbals into stasis or some other long term vegetative state?

JR

[GDJ]

Either they hibernate or they eat recycled snacks.

[problemecium]

I can't say, which is why A: I always accept rescue contracts (I have no evidence anyone else is going to save the poor thing), and B: I never send Kerbals on long missions in a tiny Mk1 pod. For a quick run to the Mun I might make do with a lander can or a Mk1 cockpit in a pinch, but for anything longer than that I always send them in a nice cushy Hitchhiker container or equivalent.

[Jett_Quasar]

... they eat recycled snacks.

Makes you think long and hard before you bit into that O'Henry bar!

JR

[Geschosskopf]

Just to be pedantic, I'm pretty sure "hibernation" has a specific biological meaning that applies only to certain types of Earth life and not others. Kerbals aren't from Earth so definitely don't "hibernate" in the strict technical sense. However, they do something else, with its own name, that has the same effect

[Sharkman Briton]

As I always say, it depends on your canon, and everyone who plays KSP has their own 'canon' for their universe.

[Shpaget]

Since the Earth is the only planet with known life, you could argue that ""eating" has a specific biological meaning that applies only to certain types of Earth life and not others. Grumkins aren't from Earth so definitely don't "eat" in the strict technical sense. However, they do something else, with its own name, that has the same effect"

[Jett_Quasar]

Just to be pedantic, I'm pretty sure "hibernation" has a specific biological meaning that applies only to certain types of Earth life and not others. Kerbals aren't from Earth so definitely don't "hibernate" in the strict technical sense. However, they do something else, with its own name, that has the same effect

Agreed, but how would that work within the game mechanic?

JR

[koyoti]

I've always liked to assume that kerbals have a really, really high boredom threshold and are quite happy to sit there for years at a time eating goo and looking at pretty lights and dials.

but how would that work within the game mechanic?

If they're going to add life support, I would like to see a stasis gizmo that can be put into pods added to the middle of the science tree and maybe another that allows longer periods of stasis to the high end (1000 science+)

It could automatically engage and reduce life support requirements to 10% of normal when your ship is more than 1million km from any planetary body or moon and no manoeuvres are plotted within 10 days perhaps?

Edited August 16, 2015 by koyoti

[Mister Dilsby]

I pretty much assume mine are hibernating whenever I'm not looking at them, it's the only explanation for their indefinite survivability. Whether or not that goes away in 1.1, after the Eve saga concludes I plan to add the USI Life Support mod. I suppose that means (1) I have to retconn the need for life support and (2) all the crews in Kerbfleet's various orbiting/surface labs will have to "come home for supper" since their vessels have no NOMS and no way to make them.

[JPLRepo]

Mine do..

<insert mod plug here>

DeepFreeze Continued...

[MarcAlain]

"Frogs hibernate to escape the freezing temperatures of winter. Their heartbeats and breathing slow, their body temperature drops to nearly match the outside temperature, and they pass the time in a state of dormancy or torpor. Aquatic frogs hibernate under water and take in oxygen from the water through their skin."

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/FrogNotes3.html

[Rath]

I have never sent a kerbal on a long mission (Mun or farther) without at least double the needed space, 4 times if they are alone.

[Guest]

"Frogs hibernate to escape the freezing temperatures of winter. Their heartbeats and breathing slow, their body temperature drops to nearly match the outside temperature, and they pass the time in a state of dormancy or torpor. Aquatic frogs hibernate under water and take in oxygen from the water through their skin."

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/FrogNotes3.html

Some frogs can freeze solid in the winter and then thaw out in the spring. Researchers are trying to figure out how the common wood frog achieves this so we can freeze organs needed for transplants.

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.evo.frozenfrogs/frozen-frogs/

[Goddess Bhavani]

Well, kerbals are also green. Do they photosynthesise? If so, that could explain vastly decreased support requirements provided they have sunlight. They also have a ridiculous high radiation tolerance and extremely high body density. Curious. Are they even carbon based lifeforms?

[Thegamer211]

I pretty much assume mine are hibernating whenever I'm not looking at them, it's the only explanation for their indefinite survivability. Whether or not that goes away in 1.1, after the Eve saga concludes I plan to add the USI Life Support mod. I suppose that means (1) I have to retconn the need for life support and (2) all the crews in Kerbfleet's various orbiting/surface labs will have to "come home for supper" since their vessels have no NOMS and no way to make them.

There is this mod called deep freeze continued that lets you freeze kerbals so they wont use life support.

Useful for long voyages.

[Thomassino]

Just to be pedantic, I'm pretty sure "hibernation" has a specific biological meaning that applies only to certain types of Earth life and not others. Kerbals aren't from Earth so definitely don't "hibernate" in the strict technical sense. However, they do something else, with its own name, that has the same effect

So, do they "kerbinate" or "kibernate"?

Edited August 18, 2015 by Thomassino

[Mikki]

Sure, each time you switch away from the active vessel they grab a snack and fall immediatly asleep.

Randomly one is awake to make sure the others are napping nicely and safe.

There is no other way to manage interplanetary travelling.

Very easy system, the Kerbal way .

[JPLRepo]

So, do they "kerbinate" or "kibernate"?

They DeepFreeze Continued... in a nice cold Cryopod full of Glykerol.

[Brainlord Mesomorph]

I always assumed torpor.

And those backpacks have some kind of infinite re-breather technology.

But if the boys (and girls?) at Squad want this to be a polished finished game, there should some kind of official canon about the Kerbals, how they live etc.

I'm more concerned about the totally invisible Navy and/or Marine force that recovers space ships from all over the world and the totally invisible industrial infrastructure and educational system that provides spaceship parts and trained astronauts.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Brainlord Mesomorph

[lajoswinkler]

I'm pretty sure we'll get some kind of simplified life support such as "snacks" that would remove the need for wild speculations.

[keeper]

I'm pretty sure they don't eat or sleep so the need for life support bewilders me. Kerbals don't get bored in space.

[Goddess Bhavani]

...and trained astronauts.

I kind of like to hire everyone with maximum stupidity levels

[Tex]

Funny that you mention vegetative states- I am a believer in the old notion that Kerbals are descended from Kerbin's plants, meaning they can photosynthesize to collect energy for themselves, and can sit for long periods without getting bored. I mean, those sequoia trees are thousands of years old in some cases, so certainly a fifty-year mission isn't too far out of the way for a brave Kerbal explorer!

Of course, it may change when life support comes, but hey. I like plant-Kerbals.

[lajoswinkler]

Funny that you mention vegetative states- I am a believer in the old notion that Kerbals are descended from Kerbin's plants, meaning they can photosynthesize to collect energy for themselves, and can sit for long periods without getting bored. I mean, those sequoia trees are thousands of years old in some cases, so certainly a fifty-year mission isn't too far out of the way for a brave Kerbal explorer!

Of course, it may change when life support comes, but hey. I like plant-Kerbals.

You do realize plants to not turn light into matter? They use light as a main source of energy. They still need food.