Kerbal Space Program has been around for a while now, having been released in 2015 after a lengthy stint in Early Access. But all that development time really shows when you start trying to launch your own rockets into space, or even just a simple plane which can be just as challenging when you first start out.

So if news of the upcoming Kerbal Space Program 2 has you eager to get involved with the series before the sequel launches, there are some things that you should know. After all, you can't just launch things into space, you need to know enough to get them back again afterward.

10 Science Mode Is A Great Place To Learn

Kerbal Space Program Kerbals In Front of Ship

If you're a complete novice to rocket building (as most of us are) then Science Mode might sound intimidating, but it's actually the ideal place to start. This game mode gives you unlimited funds for your missions, meaning you can focus on rocket launches and not running a successful space enterprise.

You also have to unlock rocket components through research, meaning you won't be overwhelmed by the vast selection of parts on offer in Sandbox mode, which is a game mode that sets you loose among everything Kerbal Space Program has to offer.

Kerbal-Space-Program-Kerbin-Surface-1

In both Career and Science Mode, you have to unlock rocket components and upgrades as you progress. That means you'll start out with the most basic items available and those are pretty unlikely to get you to space. Instead, you can work on researching the home planet of Kerbin and creating aircraft to accomplish early missions.

It's only later in the game once you have the necessary skills that you will unlock the thrusters and fuel boosters required to make it into space and start exploring amongst the stars.

8 Don't Aim For The Moon Until You're Ready

Kerbal Space Program Take Off

It can be tempting to shoot for the moon as soon as you have the ability to go into space, but there's a lot of things you need to figure out before doing that. First, you need to unlock components capable of getting there without stranding your crews in open space, then you have to figure out the details.

Challenges like intercept orbits, landing, and fuel for the return trip are all factors you need to account for before you set your eyes on other planets. So be sure to run lots of missions to learn the basics and master the controls before you set out to fly amongst the stars.

7 Plan For The Landing

Kerbal Space Program Crash Landing

Speaking of flying amongst the stars, if you're planning on visiting the moon or other planets, then you're going to need a way of landing your rocket. Whether it's extending legs or wheels, thinking about your landing gear is almost as important as thinking about your engines. Parachutes only work once after all.

But if you're finding the actual process of landing a challenge, you can add lights to the base of your rocket. This will give you a visual marker that indicates when you are close to the ground and how much you need to slow down - or panic if you haven't slowed down enough.

6 Make Incremental Saves During Missions

Kerbal Space Program Pod Taking Off

Things can go wrong quickly in space, and when that happens there aren't a lot of chances for you to get things back on track. Fortunately, Kerbal Space Program isn't real life and that means you can make quick saves to recover from disaster. On PC, use Alt+F5 to make an incremental save at each phase of your mission.

These incremental saves not only let you correct mistakes, but you can also use them to go back without restarting a launch if you realize you made a mistake. The only downside is the fact these saves are an entirely manual process. That means it's still up to you to make sure your mission is recoverable, this tool just makes that easier.

5 Start With Lower Difficulty Settings

Kerbal Space Program Lunar Rover

Career Mode offers the broadest challenge of any Kerbal Space Program game mode, with players having to balance a variety of financial targets and requirements as they try to make it to the stars. This does mean that it's possible to reach a failure state, unlike in other game modes.

Run out of money thanks to an important launch failing, and you'll soon find yourself having to restart. Fortunately, the game offers several difficulty settings, so beginners can tackle career mode at a level that suits their experience rather than trying and failing to beat the harder difficulties.

4 Some Contracts Don't Need A Spaceship

Kerbal Space Program Plane

Particularly in the early stages of Kerbal Space Program, many of the contracts you take on won't require you to leave Kerbin's atmosphere. Some contracts will even ask you to test a feature or run a research module while landed, which you can initially do from the launch pad, meaning you don't need to take off at all.

Other contracts will ask for samples from Kerbin, meaning a plane or similar aircraft will be sufficient to complete their objectives. Because of this, you can make a simple aircraft that doesn't have risky components, like solid-fuel boosters that can easily cause a crash.

3 Add Emergency Power To Your Spacecraft

Kerbal Space Program Lunar Lander Solar Panels

If your spacecraft is going to be in space for any length of time, then there's a good chance it could run out of electrical power while it's a long way from the safety of Kerbin. So it's a good practice to have tools to generate power onboard all of your rockets and other spacecraft.

The easiest way to achieve this is to add solar panels and an emergency battery on the outside of your rocket - although, make sure it's on a component that won't get detached during flight. This should guarantee some kind of electrical energy no matter where in the solar system your creation ends up.

2 You Can Operate Multiple Craft At Once

Kerbal Space Program Lander and Flag

You might only be able to launch one rocket or plane at a time, but with a sufficiently upgraded Mission Control, you can manage multiple missions at once. This is important later in the game when you want to start setting up space stations or sending rockets out on long flights to other planets.

When you start sending these long-term missions out it can be a lot of waiting, so heading back to Kerbin and working on something else is a good way to pass that travel time. But don't get too distracted, if you don't check in on your other missions you risk missing something going wrong, and then who knows what you'll find when you come back to it.

1 Use EVA To Go On Space Walks

Kerbal Space Program Space Station

Sending rockets into space is great fun, but sometimes you want to be closer to the action and see space for yourself. When that urge strikes you can set up a crewed mission and make use of Kerbal Space Programs EVA features to take control of a Kerbal and step out of the rocket you've built.

Be careful though, as hitting the wrong button or making any kind of mistake can send your Kerbal floating out into space, potentially forever if you can't organize a recovery mission. So use this game to explore the stars, but do it with caution - otherwise, you'll be floating amongst them with no way back.

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