Kerbal Space Center
| Kerbal Space Center | ||
 | ||
| Location |  Kerbin
| |
| Coordinates Map |
0° 6′ 9″ S | |
| 74° 34′ 31″ W | ||
| Altitude | ~68.41 m | |
| Since version | 0.7.3 | |
Located on Kerbin, the Kerbal Space Center (abbr. KSC) is currently the only location that missions can be launched from. Featuring a number of buildings and structures on a approximately 25 km² wide plateau, it acts as a central hub granting access to all parts of the game.
Contents
Functional Structures
Vehicle Assembly Building
The Vehicle Assembly Building (or VAB for short) is a large construction facility at KSC, where rockets and other vertically launched spacecraft can be designed. Crafts designed in the VAB can only be launched from the Launch Pad.
Launch pad
Crafts designed in the VAB will be launched from the launch pad. This launch platform allows only vertical launches or starts of rovers, as it is elevated and planes don't have enough space to climb.
Space Plane Hangar
The Space Plane Hangar (or SPH for short) is a facility similar to the VAB that allows construction of air- and spacecraft in a horizontal environment which can then be launched from a conventional runway.
Runway
Vessels designed in the Space Plane Hangar can only be launched from the runway. It can also be used for landing. At the moment there is only one runway (09/27) in service with a length about 1.8 km going from east to west. By default crafts designed in the SPH are facing 90° and starting from the west end.
Tracking Station
The Tracking Station allows access, observation and management of all missions currently active, including splashed-down or landed ships. Note that this does not include crashed or otherwise ended missions. Any Kerbals, craft or debris safely on Kerbin's surface can be recovered here. Debris can be tracked and deleted here. Celestial bodies can also be observed at the Tracking Station.
Astronaut Complex
The Astronaut Complex allows to hire astronauts to join the crew of future missions.
Flag Pole
The Flag Pole is located in front of the Astronaut Complex and can be used to select a default mission flag. It used to be located south-west of the VAB, but was moved in version 0.21.
Research and Development
The Research and Development building allows players to (in Career Mode) unlock spacecraft parts by researching nodes on the Tech Tree.
Non-functional Structures
Coolant Tanks
A big globular Coolant Tank with a climbable ladder as well as three smaller Coolant Tanks can be found southwest of the Launchpad.
Water Tower
Located southeast of the Launchpad, the Water Tower is about as tall as the former Launchpad Tower.
Flag Pole
A second flag pole can be found on the northwest of the Launch Pad.
Mission Control
A small building located south of the VAB and west of the tracking station. Its name can only be seen by crashing a part into it and reviewing the mission report, which will say “### crashed into Mission Control”.
Location of the KSC on Kerbin, From Orbit
KSC is on a roughly spuare-shaped, sandy peninsula on the east coast of an Africa-shaped continent. To assist in spotting the KSC from orbit, please refer to this handy map (it's marked with the red arrow):
See also
Changes
- Added the Research & Development Facility to the Space Center.
- The KSC Facilities have all been revised, and feature new ground meshes and many other graphical improvements.
- Added lighting FX to several facilities. The Runway (among many other things) is now properly lit at night.
- Added Astronaut Complex for hiring kerbals, seeing which kerbals are assigned to missions, and which kerbals are dead or lost.
- Added small mission control that is not yet useable.
- New Space Center modeling, buildings look more realistic
- Space Center scene is now the same as the flight scene.
- Space Center buildings now light up at night.
- Added flagpoles
- Added new mesh/textures for both Launchpad and Runway facilities.
- Removed Non-Functional Launch Tower.
- Moved Mk1 pod memorial behind VAB.
- Added memorial to Mk1 pod outside VAB.
- Ladder on coolant tank made functional.
- SPH and Runway added.
- Tracking Station added.
- Initial release - included VAB and launch pad.
