I had a nightmare about KSP once

[NASAFanboy]

In the nightmare, I imagined that my agency was required to pay life insurance for the kerbalnauts after money was implemented.

Please Squad, never let this happen.

[FellipeC]

Poor widows...

[Cmmndrme]

Would help prevent one way missions.......

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

Hey guys! Did you know, Squad is doing this?! *Kids Cheer* Yes! Now you WILL need escape systems! [Citation Needed]

[Bobnova]

Pretty sure my current game (0.22) has a better safety record than the Soviet space program did.

[kahlzun]

My Jeb has come back to life more times than Jason Voorhees.

[FlamedSteak]

I think this actually a pretty good idea. There should be a punishment system if you lose a kerbal.

[SkyRender]

The way I see it, punishing the player for losing Kerbals should only really come up after they've gotten far enough along that they really shouldn't be killing them. Some sort of "training wheels" phase does need to be in there, at least until they can reach the edge of space. From there, however, the wheels should come off.

[Corw]

Pretty sure my current game (0.22) has a better safety record than the Soviet space program did.

You might be surprised by some facts. wiki link

[Levelord]

I think this actually a pretty good idea. There should be a punishment system if you lose a kerbal.

Not really a punishment system per se, but I was thinking of a system where individual Kerbals earn XP points for doing more missions. Then as a result of the XP points, they can be upgraded to give certain perks to your rocket designs. Maybe having a certain Kerbonaut gives your rocket extra torque, another Kerbonaut makes your rockets a bit cheaper, and perhaps another Kerbonaut grants bonus science per mission depending on what you spend on their XP tree.

Losing these Kerbals mean you lose their bonus specific perks and that seems to be a sufficient punishment in itself and also serves to make you more attached to your Kerbal.

[Galane]

Losing these Kerbals mean you lose their bonus specific perks and that seems to be a sufficient punishment in itself and also serves to make you more attached to your Kerbal.

Like self-ambulatory Weighted Companion Cubes, only not so cube shaped.