Real life space technology that you immediately recognized from KSP

[SuperWeegee4000]

Is there any technology used by real space programs that you saw first in KSP and didn't know existed in real life? For me, it was Curiosity's RTG - it seriously looks exactly the same as the one in-game.

[Borkless]

Going the other way around, the Saturn Instrument Unit looks exactly like the 2 meter ASAS.

[Trux]

The Apollo 14 RTG probably stands as the most authentic

[Tw1]

Pretty much all the stock parts are based on real life things.

I recognised the Hall thruster as the basis for the Pb-ion engine.

[Vaebn]

Pretty much all the stock parts are based on real life things.

That. The "mainsail" engine for example is an obvious reference to the F-1 Saturn engine, made distinct by that wrap-around tubing. The orange tank and solid boosters are obvious references to space shuttle parts. Even the parachutes had no particular reason to be "orange", but the apollo return parachutes were precisely that.

Myself the one I found quite touching is the NERVA engine.

Which of course is the LV-N! What I found particularly cute is that although at first sight the part might appear a bit broken with that delicious 800 specific impulse, in reality this is precisely the specific impulse the engine had. So that's actually a pretty "fair" part, only seemingly not so because humanity has abandoned such awesome technology :[

Edited August 8, 2013 by Vaebn

[sodra]

I don't know about you, but I recognized the Photovoltaic Panels pretty quickly.

Edited August 8, 2013 by sodra

[King Arthur]

The Mk1-2 Command Pod is an obvious reference to the Apollo Command Module, while the Command Pod Mk1 is a reference to the Mercury capsules. It really felt at-home seeing them when I first started KSP.

[42undead2]

Fire and explosions.

[trvtannenberg]

This one.

[DisarmingBaton5]

Going the other way around, the Saturn Instrument Unit looks exactly like the 2 meter ASAS.

That must be what the 2(.5) meter ASAS was modeled after.

Also, the mk1 pod is extremely similar to the mercury capsules.