KSP Campaign Ideas Thread: A Community Developed Space Program

[inigma]

Does anyone have a list of goals written out for their space program? I'm looking for an exhaustive list of missions that build up a player's familiarity with KSP and skill.

I'm looking to make such a mission manifest a wiki article with links to tutorials describing each. Such a manifest might even be the index for the tutorial section of the wiki. Anyone want to offer such a program/goal manifest? Maybe such a manifest will become a standard mission manifest once KSP leaves the sandbox.

You can now help with this project by going here:

Kerbal Space Program Campaigns (Player Developed)

https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaigns

Here is what is drafted so far. Feel free to add to it:

Currently Campaign Mode has yet to be developed. Until then, the KSP player community offers the following campaign mission manifest to players looking to follow a near historical list of mission goals and milestone progression in the current sandbox:

1. Age of Rocketry (Solid fuel rockets and ballistic missles)
   
2. Space Race (First satellite, first man in space, first manned orbit)
   
3. Age of Satellites (Orbital Mechanics 101: ComSat, WeatherSat, GeoSat, SpySat)
   
4. The Kerbinai Program (First spacewalk, rendezvous and docking, first station)
   
5. Probes and Rovers (Mun impact probe, orbiter, and rover)
   
6. The Mun Race (First manned Mun orbit and return, first landing and return)
   
7. Kerbollo 13 (Rescue missions and escape pod development)
   
8. Kerbol System Exploration (probes to Minmus, Duna, and Eve, and multiplanetary probes)
   
9. Kerbals in Space (Build Kylab, Build KIR, prepare them for deorbit when KSS is later built)
   
10. The Shuttle Program (First spaceplane, Orbital Tugs, Spaceplane vertical takeoff into orbit)
    
11. GPS Constellation (Launch a GPS constellation of 24 satellites)
    
12. Kerbal Space Station (Build the KSS to house 10 Kerbals)
    
13. Joolileo (Send a large probe to explore the Jool system, with a smaller probe for descent)
    
14. Space Telescopes (Kubble Space Telescope, Mun remote observatory, and L4 Planet Finder)
    
15. Budget Cuts (Rovers to Minmus, Eve, Dres, and Laythe)
    
16. Sample Return Missions (Land and return robotic landers from Eve, Vall or Bop, and Eeloo)
    
17. Civilian Spaceflight (Boat launch to space, Building a KerbX Space Center, Suborbital Spaceplane)
    
18. Age of Expansion (Satellite Relay Network, Mun Station, Mun Base)
    
19. Duna or Bust (Duna Satellites, First manned Duna landing)
    
20. The Spacers (Manned planetary explorations, Joolian station, Eeloo telescope)
    
21. The Daring Few (The first extrasolar ship to return home)
    
22. The Colony (Build a space colony of 100 Kerbals)
    
23. Where No Kerbal Has Gone Before (Build a Space Ark of 150 Kerbals leaving for the stars)
    
24. Challenges (The Best of Player Challenges submitted on the KSP Forum)

Much of the campaigns above I've gleaned from historical spaceflight milestones found here: http://www.space.com/11329-human-spaceflight-biggest-moments-50th-anniversary.html

Edited June 12, 2013 by inigma
updated list based on suggestions

[inigma]

Here's my stab at a running list:

Unmanned:

1. Static Fire RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster Rocket

2. Launch RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster Rocket

3. Launch Two-Stage Solid Fuel Rocket

4. Static Fire LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket

5. Launch LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket Eastwards

6. Launch Two-Stage LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket and Maintain 45 degrees Eastwards after 10,000m

7. Launch Two-Stage LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket into Orbit

...

Manned (Return Crew Safely):

1. Suborbital Flight Above 70km - First Man in Space

2. Orbital Flight With Periapsis Above 70km - First Orbital Flight

3. Orbital Flight With Periapis at 100km

4. Cicularized Orbit within 1km AP & AP Difference

...

Edited June 5, 2013 by inigma

[duncan1297]

so its kind of like recreating the real space program.

[The Jedi Master]

1.Unmanned orbit

2.Manned orbit

3.Unmanned Mun orbit

4.Unmanned Mun landing

etc.

[inigma]

Here's my stab at a running list:

Unmanned:

1. Static Fire RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster Rocket

2. Launch RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster Rocket

3. Launch Two-Stage Solid Fuel Rocket

4. Static Fire LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket

5. Launch LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket Eastwards

6. Launch Two-Stage LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket and Maintain 45 degrees Eastwards after 10,000m

7. Launch Two-Stage LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket into Orbit

...

Manned (Return Crew Safely):

1. Suborbital Flight Above 70km - First Man in Space

2. Orbital Flight With Periapsis Above 70km - First Orbital Flight

3. Orbital Flight With Periapis at 100km

4. Cicularized Orbit within 1km AP & AP Difference

...

so its kind of like recreating the real space program.

Precisely. Essentially I'm asking the community here to develop a semi-official Kerbal Space Program and add to it as the game gets developed.

[FunkThompson]

I'm just tinkering around right now, learning the game, but I'd like to actually kind of follow the history of spaceflight up through and beyond the modern era.

Start with probes, then manned subballistic, then manned orbit, then Mun / Minmus landing, first deep space probes and probes to other planets, then shuttle program and space station and Kubble, on to manned flights to the other planets and hell hopefully someday interstellar flights?

Campaign mode cannot get here soon enough

[inigma]

Let's start developing a near historical campaign then, as a community, and wikify it.

I've started it here in the wiki Tutorials section, but hopefuly someone with higher rights can simply make a whole new root section on the wiki for Campaigns:

http://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaigns

Edited June 6, 2013 by inigma

[inigma]

Ok I've added some basic mission manifests to the campaigns provided. Check out the Tutorials section on the wiki and fill in stuff as you think best. Try to keep the format as simple as possible. The idea is to present goals, not necessary how-tos - unless you link to a separate how-to article.

[lexran]

Great idea! I'm looking forward in playing this campaign!

[inigma]

I'm having way too much fun: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaign:_Age_of_Satellites

stealing ideas from:

http://www.space.com/11329-human-spaceflight-biggest-moments-50th-anniversary.html

Edited June 6, 2013 by inigma

[Temstar]

Static firing seems kind of pointless. You do static firing as the engine maker during the development process to get a handle on the engine. Once the engine is all tested it becomes available on the market. The space program then tells the rocket builder they want a rocket with these specification and they go out and find suitable engines and buy them to install in their rocket stages.

A space agency might static fire the entire rocket stage to make sure all the integration stuff are fine and the stage don't blow itself up. But it seems like there isn't much point in KSP since we know the components will work every time.

Them Kerbals test rockets much like the Soviets. Rather than testing them on test stands they just stack the rocket and fire it. If it flies then great, if it blows up then they pick up the pieces and figure out what went wrong. So rather than static firing I suggest "all-up" testing mission of unmanned version of the spacecrafts ala Apollo 4 and the N-1 launches.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Temstar

[inigma]

Feel free to remove the static fire tests. If you have other suborbital rocket missions to add, feel free too!

[Horn Brain]

Here's my version of what you're proposing. Care to help out?

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/32194-MetaChallenge-Thread

[inigma]

Here's my version of what you're proposing. Care to help out?

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/32194-MetaChallenge-Thread

Makes sense to me to combine efforts. Feel free to fill in mission gaps on the program. A lot of these could get parked in the Challenges campaign section of the space program until we find a place for them in the mission progression timeline.

[tek_604]

I'm also working on a similar principle with regards to my mod for resource extraction (while we wait for the official stuff to arrive). Basically, you start from the kind of missions which we know have flown, and then try to extend that a little away from the current science focussed missions, to missions with resource extraction in mind. So, for example, a set of missions suitable for my mod are (in order):

1) Orbital scanning (MRO, MEX etc etc.)

2) Surface sample analysis (Viking/various rovers - note still not sure how to determine if a mission is a lander or rover. Ideally I would love to do that)

3) Sample return to Kerbin

4) Manned surface sample analysis

5) Extraction & Profit

I would be sure that when Squad finally have both resources & career mode in place, this is exactly(ish) what they'll be trying to do; maybe with some left field random events for a little flavour and replayability.

[AndrewBCrisp]

I tend not to think so much in milestones as programs; but I do have a progression in mind.

Kerbal program - crewed orbital, transMunar, and interplanetary missions. Usually a "there-and-back-again" approach of launch, accomplish the task, and return. The current stage of the Kerbal program is primarily limited to Kerbin orbit, testing hardware for future Mun missions, though I have attempted a Munar orbital mission (almost drained the tank getting back to Kerbin :/)

Expedition program - crewed missions to the Kerbal Space Station I've constructed. More for bragging rights than anything, given Kerbals are currently immortal/immune to microgravity effects, but these are long-term habitation missions.

Mun program - uncrewed missions to the Mun. Starting with orbiters, but later missions will be landers at various spots on the Mun in preparation for crewed landings. "Sample return" missions are being considered.

Planet program - uncrewed missions to other planets. As with the Mun program, starts with orbiters and progresses to landers and sample return. Currently waiting for my first launch window to start this program off (Moho will likely be the first target, given my current planet positions).

Sigma program - uncrewed test flights of my Sigma launch vehicles, in efforts to improve existing designs or build larger models with heavier payload capacity.

[Scrogdog]

I pretty much loosely follow the BARIS path from memory. Orbital Sat, Manned Sub-Orbital, Manned Orbital, docking, eva, duration, etc.

[inigma]

Awesome awesome ideas! I updated my OP, but for those of you who have ideas to contribute, check out the new link for the list of campaigns and mission manifests on the wiki, and tell me there or here what you think! Feel free to fill in the blanks and follow the format thus far provided!

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaigns

Edited June 6, 2013 by inigma

[inigma]

I tend not to think so much in milestones as programs; but I do have a progression in mind.

Kerbal program - crewed orbital, transMunar, and interplanetary missions. Usually a "there-and-back-again" approach of launch, accomplish the task, and return. The current stage of the Kerbal program is primarily limited to Kerbin orbit, testing hardware for future Mun missions, though I have attempted a Munar orbital mission (almost drained the tank getting back to Kerbin :/)

Expedition program - crewed missions to the Kerbal Space Station I've constructed. More for bragging rights than anything, given Kerbals are currently immortal/immune to microgravity effects, but these are long-term habitation missions.

Mun program - uncrewed missions to the Mun. Starting with orbiters, but later missions will be landers at various spots on the Mun in preparation for crewed landings. "Sample return" missions are being considered.

Planet program - uncrewed missions to other planets. As with the Mun program, starts with orbiters and progresses to landers and sample return. Currently waiting for my first launch window to start this program off (Moho will likely be the first target, given my current planet positions).

Sigma program - uncrewed test flights of my Sigma launch vehicles, in efforts to improve existing designs or build larger models with heavier payload capacity.

This is exactly the kind of stuff that needs to be populated in http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaigns

[inigma]

updated OP.

[Scrogdog]

Nice job! I just printed it out.

I've got a lot to do!

[inigma]

I just posted some more!

[thrashing mad]

I'm following such progressive schedule for my YT series. So far it looks like this:

'Eagle' Program:

1. Suborbital flight

2. Satelite

3. Suborbital manned flight

4. Orbital manned flight and spacewalk

'Pegasus' Program

1. Munar impact

2. Munar satelite

3. Munar probe landing

4. Munar rover

5. Munar sample return mission

'Hawk' Program

1. Jet plane flight

2. Supersonic flight

3. Long range, north Pole and back flight

4. Space plane flight, X-15 style

'Hermes' Program

1. Manned orbital randezvous

2. Manned orbital docking

3. Manned flight to Mun orbit and back

4. Manned Apollo style Munar landing

5. Manned Apollo style Munar landing with rover

What in the future? Space station, Minmus mission, some probes to nearby planets? I'm really trying to roughly follow our historical developments at this point.

[Scrogdog]

Just for giggles, I found an old BARIS manual online. See below. In addition, tonight I'll pull out Liftoff! which BARIS was based on and see if there is anything to add.

These are the prestige milestones (in no particular order);

Orbital Sat

Lunar Flyby

Mercury Flyby

Venus Flyby

Mars Flyby

Jupiter Flyby

Saturn Flyby

Lunar Probe Landing

Duration B 3-5 Days (Duration A is 1-2 days - no prestige award)

Duration C 6-7

Duration D 8-12

Duration E 13-16

Duration F 17-20

One Person Craft

Two Person Craft

Three Person Craft

Four Person Craft

Minishuttle

Manned Orbital

Manned Lunar Pass

Experimental Orbital Lab

Manned Docking

Woman in Space

Space Walk/EVA

Manned Space Mission

There are also these items which did not award prestige, but you suffered hardware reliability penalties for skipping them;

Manned Sub-Orbital

Manned Lunar Orbital

Minimum of two LM Tests

Edited June 7, 2013 by Scrogdog
typo

[inigma]

updated op yet again with everyone's suggestions so far. I also updated Age of Satellites with a number of challenging orbits to achieve.