Contract

Mission Control with the first contract opened

A contract is a request by an agency to perform a task. Contracts were added in version 0.24 for career mode. The first contracts are predefined, but afterward an infinite supply of random contracts will be generated based on a set of templates.

Accepting a contract is optional - any contract may be declined out-of-hand without penalty - but taking contracts can lead to lucrative rewards. Contracts can reward science, funds and/or reputation if successful. Failing a contract will cause loss of funds, and possible a loss of reputation if the failure involved the loss of kerbonauts. Multiple contracts can be active at the same time, and each can have its own deadline (or none at all). It's also possible for multiple contracts to be completed by the same craft. Their difficulty ranges from trivial tasks to exceptionally difficult missions.

As of version 0.24.2 the game can generate contracts which are impossible to fulfill, specifically because they require the TT18-A Launch Stability Enhancer to be transported away from the launchpad., creating problems for challenges which forbid declining contracts.

Canceling Contracts

Canceling a contract does not count as failure and will not incur the failure penalty. Instead, when a contract is canceled, the advance is taken back and reputation is left unchanged.

This can be useful for contracts whose deadline will come before it is possible to complete the contract, or if a more appealing contract appears that will take much longer than the contracts already accepted, such as a contract to explore Jool, which will take multiple in game years.

Rather than potentially launching multiple missions to finish up active contracts first, before launching a long-term exploration vessel (which might take multiple real life hours to days), contracts which will expire before the vessel is due back may be canceled free of penalty. The funds given as an advance will be lost, but this is a small price to pay compared to contract failure, and results in having the same level of funds as before the contracts were accepted.

Types of contracts

As of version 0.24.2^[outdated], there are five types of contracts.

Part testing

Part testing involves transporting a certain part to a certain situation and activating it. Different contracts may specify different conditions under which the part must be tested, for example, it may need to be tested when the craft has landed on a certain body, or is in the water on Kerbin, or is at a certain altitude and speed. If the player has not unlocked the required part, it will be available in the VAB/SPH until the contract has been completed or failed. The item will marked with **EXPERIMENTAL** during this period.

For most part tests, the stage with the part has to be activated when the exact conditions are met. However, in some cases the test has to be run by right-clicking on the part and choosing "run test".

Rescue

A kerbonaut spawned stranded in orbit by a contract

Rescue contracts ask that an unfortunate kerbonaut be retrieved, brought down to the surface, and safely recovered. Accepting a rescue contract will spawn a new kerbonaut in a low orbit around Kerbin, who will be visible in the Tracking Station and map view. Kerbals spawned by rescue contracts can't be controlled until a craft is within 2.2 km of the object; once a craft has maneuver close enough the [ or ] keys will switch control over to him.

Once the Kerbal has been rescued, he will be added to the crew roster in the Astronaut Complex. If the Kerbal is killed the contract is considered failed and the penalty will be assessed.

Data collection

Data collection contracts require that scientific data be gathered in a specific location- for example, orbiting the Mun. This may be done by either transmitting the data with an antenna or returning the craft to Kerbin and recovering it. These contracts usually reward quite a large sum of cash, but a negligible amount of science. Stationing a satellite equipped with a repeatable experiment like a 2HOT Thermometer and an antenna in orbit is a great way to fulfill these contracts several times making them a quick and easy source of cash.

It doesn't matter if no actual science is earned; running any experiment in the designated situation is enough to fulfill the contract.

Exploration

Exploration contracts require that a craft be sent to the SOI of a planet or moon, land on its surface, and transmit or return the data from there.

Flag planting

Flag planting contracts require a kerbonaut to plant a flag on a moon or planet. Although the flavor text of these contracts mentions that the client would like to see their flag on the surface, it doesn't matter which insignia the player picks for the mission.

Changes

0.24

• Initial release