About Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal Space Program, created by Squad, puts you in charge of the space programme of the Kerbals, a small green species with more enthusiasm than caution. Your job is to design vehicles from a large catalogue of parts — engines, fuel tanks, capsules, wings, landing legs — and fly them.

What makes the game special is its physics. Orbits, gravity and thrust work in a realistic way, so reaching orbit means learning to turn at the right moment, and travelling to a moon means planning manoeuvres carefully. The game teaches real concepts of space flight through experimentation, and many players say they learned more about orbital mechanics here than anywhere else.

You can play in sandbox mode with every part unlocked, or in career mode, where you manage a budget, carry out contracts and research new technology. Failures are frequent and often funny — rockets tip over, fall apart or explode — but each one teaches you something, and your first successful landing on another world is a genuinely memorable moment.