Calculation tools

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Revision as of 04:26, 6 March 2015 by JAFO (talk | contribs) (Offline applications)
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This page lists various fan-made tools that can help calculations related to the gameplay of Kerbal Space Program. Unlike addons, they do not directly influence the game, as they are run separately.

The table cells that are shaded blue are links to the KSP Forums, to indicate open source tools and compatibility with the latest version of KSP. Conversely, tools who's last known compatible version is too far into the past are shaded red as are non-free tools.

The KSP forums have a section dedicated to such tools here, which is where it is most likely that new tools and versions will be announced.

Online tools and calculators

Orbit and maneuver calculators

Title Developer Desciption Last Update KSP Version compatibility [note 1] Notes Forum post Link
Interactive illustrated interplanetary guide and calculator Olex Calculates Δv and angles for orbital transfer between celestial bodies 2013 0.22 Based on this forum post forum post http://ksp.olex.biz/
Launch Window Planner alexmoon Provides a total Δv calculation for orbital transfer based on launch parameters 6 Apr 2014 0.23.5 open source

(License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

forum post http://alexmoon.github.io/ksp/
KSP Aerobraking Calculator alterbaron Calculates a maneuver to perform the intended aerobraking 20 Nov 2013 0.90 open source forum post http://alterbaron.github.io/ksp_aerocalc/
Where can I go? GavinZac Calculates possible destinations based on given Δv source code forum post http://mononyk.us/wherecanigo.php
MrFibble's KSP Calculators MrFlibble1978 Tools to calculate information on orbits Feb 2014 0.23 steam community thread Satellite Distribution Calculator Orbital Period Calculator KSP Multi Calculator
Delta V Calculator interwound Gives Δv required to reach a celestial body with or without a round trip http://deltavmap.com/
Lead angle calculator Calculates the lead angle to reach a target orbit http://instacalc.com/16221
Resonance orbit calculator Calculates periapsis based on orbit height and the requested orbital resonance based on wiki information and this forum post http://www.ksp.interrutt.com/

Simple Orbital calculating spreadsheet

drewmacrae Detailed calculation spreadsheet for Hohmann transfer orbits 21 Mar 2012 See forum post for usage details forum post Google Docs link
Browser based orbit calculator cjameshuff Interactive orbit shape and property calculator 18 Jul 2011 forum post http://files.arklyffe.com/orbcalc.html
KSP Orbital Sooper Calculator madbadger2742 Mutli-functional calculator including satellite arrangements 4 Dec 2013 Google Docs spreadsheet - Usage details on the first page of the spreadsheet and the forum post forum post Google Docs link
Orbit Night/Darkness, Req. Battery Capacity, Satellite Relay Coverage Peppe Calculate orbital darkness time and corresponding battery capacity needed 9 Oct 2013 Google Docs spreadsheet forum post Google Docs link

Part and construction calculators

Title Developer Desciption Last Update KSP Version compatibility Notes Forum post Link
KSP Optimal Rocket Calculator GaryCourt Generates a rocket design optimized for the given parameters 1 Apr 2014 0.23.5 open source (License: permissive) forum post http://garycourt.github.io/korc/
KSP Parachute Calculator check Calculates the needed mass and type of parachutes for landers 19 Sep 2013 0.21.1 forum post http://ksp.freeiz.com/
Engine Cluster Calculator blizzy Generates an engine layout for a given payload (asparagus staging) 8 Apr 2014 0.23.5 Based on this forum post http://blizzy.de/asparagus/
KSP Calculator Cameron Hessler Escape velocity and stage Δv calculators 2012 0.16 http://www.kerbalspacecalculator.net16.net/index.php
Thrust calculator Calculate TWR based on engines, fuel, payload and gravity http://iyates.co.uk/ThrustCalc/
KSP Planner eschatonic Staged rocket planner and Δv calculator 0.22 reddit post http://dhmholley.co.uk/ksplanner/
Craft Fixer Ezriilc Fixes duplicate ids in .craft files and can optionally remove add-on parts 12 Apr 2014 0.23.5 forum post http://www.kerbaltek.com/craftkitchen
Delta-V Calculator JellyGoggles Calculates Δv per stage 15 Feb 2012 0.13.2 Google Docs spreadsheet forum post Google Docs link
Optimal Single-stage Lander Design Tool tavert Calculates engines and fuel needed for a single-stage landed based on payload 14 Dec 2013 Wolfram-based (Requires Wolfram CDF Player Plugin) forum post dropbox (.html)

Science

Title Developer Description Last Update KSP Version compatibility Notes Forum post Link
KSP Science Calculator Calculates amount of science gained in different environments 0.23 (see notes) data based on the wiki article on science - Does not include Kerbol (16-04-2014) reddit post Google Drive link
Remaining Science acalculus Reads save file and displays remaining science for all celestial objects and experiments in a large table 5 May 2014 0.23.5 open source forum post http://kerbal-science-remaining.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/
Simple Science Summary Oarc Provides an overview of science done and remaining based on a save file and science definitions file - support for mods that affect science [WIP] 27 Mar 2014 0.23.5 open source (entirely client-side javascript) [note 2] forum post http://oarcinae.us/ScienceParser/kspScienceParser.html
Science Checklist celem Generates a table for each celestial body showing what science is available 6 Mar 2014 0.23.5 open source (entirely client-side javascript) (License: customized BSD, see forum post) forum post http://www.celemsoft.net/kspsci.html
Kerbal Maps Like Google maps but for KSP Using this calculator with Kerbal Maps can be helpful, as suggested in this forum post http://www.kerbalmaps.com/
KSP Checklist Generator nobody44 Generates an simple online mission checklist including science gathering 14 Feb 2014 0.23 (version agnostic) open source (License GPL v3) forum post http://pweingardt.github.io/kspchecklist/
Printable Complete Stock Science Checklists JAFO Spreadsheet with individually printable sheets for every body in the Kerbin system. Experiments which need to be performed more than once to obtain max science can be checked off twice. 03 Mar 2015 0.90.0 Includes versions for MS Office and Open/Libre Office. forum post https://app.box.com/s/rrb117aiuhubmb4e0fehtx12e9odp57a
  1. This indicates the version of KSP that the tool is known to work for, or was the latest version when the tool was last updated. Most tools will work fine on later versions.
  2. To view javascript source, go to the url and either select "View Source" from the right-click menu or use the browser's developer tools.

Deprecated

The tools in this table are known but are un-maintained or are too old to be relevant to recent versions of KSP

Deprecated tools
Title Developer Desciption Last Update KSP Version compatibility Notes Forum post Link
Fairing Factory Nathan Nifong Generates a downloadable fairing based on the given design non-functional (16-04-2014) lost http://nathannifong.com/FairingFactory/
Fuel Tank Calculator opensesame11 Calculates the amount of fuel tanks for a given Δv 23 Oct 2013 link dead (17-04-2014) forum post

Offline applications

These tools can be downloaded and used offline. Keep in mind that the presence of an application here does not mean it has been tested or is otherwise trustworthy - apply reasonable caution when downloading and running the below applications. Generally, if something is widely used, it should be safe.

Title Developer Description Last Update KSP Version compatibility Notes Platform Forum post Link
KSP Utilities ROFLCopter64bit Utility collection primarily for save file handling and analysis 4 Apr 2014 0.23.5 open source (License: LGPL v3+) Windows (pre-compiled) (author reports partial cross-platforming from source) forum post (multiple downloads - see forum post)
Trajectory Optimization Tool Arrowstar Helps find optimal burn trajectories for interplanetary transfers 3 May 2014 0.23.5 Matlab-based (License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US) Windows forum post (has dependencies - see forum post)
KSP Rocket Calculator VRGhost Calculates rocket properties and aids in the design process 31 Oct 2012 0.17.1 open source Python (python script - use source)
De-orbit and Staged Ascent Simulators Shane Colton Calculate a de-orbit maneuver to land on a specific part of a celestial object - Evaluate whether a staged craft can reach orbit 22 Dec 2013 0.23 Scilab scripts Scilab (see external tools section) blog post (see blog post for .sce files)
Zord's KSP Multi-calculator Lord_Zord Calculate Δv, effective Isp, TWR and acceleration 23 Feb 2014 0.23 binary and python components (License: MIT) - author informs that Avast AV gives a false positive with the file (16-04-2014) Windows (possibly cross-platform, see downloads provided) forum post http://sourceforge.net/projects/zordskspcalc/
KSP Calculators Jonv4n Semi-major axis and orbital period calculations 18 Jul 2013 0.20.2 LibreOffice Calc and MS Excel spreadsheets LibreOffice Calc (cross-platform) / MS Excel forum post (multiple downloads - see forum post)
Fix my docking Alo Finds and fixes bugs with docking ports from a quicksave 16 Apr 2014 0.23.5 (unclear) open source (License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) - written in Pascal Windows forum post dropbox (.exe)
Delta V Calculator freeskier93 Calculates Δv for target celestial body with orbit height, inclination, angle and launch height are used to compute the final value 22 Mar 2014 0.23.5 open source (License: GPL v2) Matlab-based - large dependency (MCR) Windows forum post dropbox (.exe)
KOrbit SchildConstruct Orbital calculator and plotter 28 Oct 2011 0.11.1 open source (License: Permissive) - inspired by Warringer Windows forum post dropbox link (.msi) github downloads
Vessel Viewer Chrison Allows viewing of .craft files outside of KSP 4 Oct 2013 0.10.1 open source (License: GPL v3) Windows forum post http://kerbalspaceport.com/ksp-vessel-viewer/
KSP Part Lister cybutek Lists parts used in .craft files 2 Sep 2012 0.16 open source (License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 GB) Windows forum post http://cybutek.net/ksp/part_lister/1.0/KSP%20Part%20Lister%20v1.0.zip
Handy DV, TWR and orbital velocity Calc pizzaboy150 25 Oct 2013 Windows forum post Google Drive (.exe)
Kerbal Tools RockyTV TWR, Δv and Isp calculator 15 Nov 2013 Google Chrome extension forum post Chrome Web Store

Transfer Stage Design Helper

RadHazard Helps design interplanetary transfer stages 9 Oct 2013 open source (License: Permissive, included in forum post) Java forum post dropbox link (.zip)
FireMarshal draeath For a given Δv and vessel information provides maneuver, fuel and mass change details 9 Jan 2014 open source (License: CC BY 4.0) Python forum post (python script - use source)
Delta V Calculator sneakytreesnake Calculates Δv per stage 15 Jan 2014 MS Excel (.xlsx) (LibreOffice Calc can probably parse it as well) forum post mediafire link (.xlsx)

Deprecated

Deprecated tools
Title Developer Desciption Last Update KSP Version compatibility Notes Platform Forum post Link
KSP Orbital Calculator Warringer Calculates orbital speeds for circular orbit injections open source (License: LGPL) Java forum post Google Code (zip file)
KSP Orbit Mechanic WX_Echo Optimizes orbits 19 Aug 2012 Java forum post mediafire (zip file)
Weight calc zweerify Calculates weight per stage 24 Oct 2011 0.11.1 .xls spreadsheet (can be parsed by MS Excel or LibreOffice Calc) forum post dropbox link (.zip)

Mobile

Title Developer Desciption Last Update KSP Version compatibility Platform Notes Forum post Link
KSP Orbit Calculator Zeno Calculates Δv and angles for orbital transfer between celestial bodies (see notes) 27 Jul 2013 (google play) - 12 Aug 2013 (source) 0.22 (see notes) Android (2.3.3+) based on Olex's calculator - open source (License: WTFPL]) forum post Google Play link
KSP Orbit Eric Meythaler Calculates orbit characteristics 20 Jul 2011 0.8.5 Android (2.1+) Google Play link
KSP Delta-V Calculator Iodyne Labs Calculates Δv per stage 10 Apr 2014 0.23.5 Android (4+) Google Play link
KSP DeltaV Calculator Julien Quartier Calculates Δv required to reach celestial objects 2 Jan 2014 0.23 Android (2.2+) Google Play link
Printable Complete Stock Science Checklists JAFO Spreadsheet with individually printable sheets for every body in the Kerbin system. Experiments which need to be performed more than once to obtain max science can be checked off twice. 03 Mar 2015 0.90.0 Includes versions for MS Office and Open/Libre Office. forum post https://app.box.com/s/rrb117aiuhubmb4e0fehtx12e9odp57a

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External tools not directly related to KSP

Online

Title Developer Desciption Last Update Notes Forum post Link
Delta-V Calculator and Rocket Simulator Joe Strout Calculate Δv - Simulate rocket flight 14 Oct 2009 - 29 Jan 2000 Intended for Earth-based craft - Java source available Δv calculator Rocket simulator
Δv calculator for LEO/MEO/GEO injection Eric Johnston (Satellite Signals) Calculate Δv to transfer to various orbital levels based on initial low orbit 20 Nov 2013 Intended for Earth-based craft delta-v-geo-injection-calculator.htm

Offline

Title Developer Desciption Last Update Notes Platform Forum post Link
Scilab Scilab Enterprises General scientific computing software - contains aerospace and celestial mechanics modules (ATOMS) 2013 open source (License: CeCILL GPL-compatible) Can convert Matlab scripts to its own format Cross-platform (Windows, MacOSX, GNU/Linux) http://www.scilab.org/
GNU Octave John W. Eaton (and others) General scientific computing software - no specific related modules or packages, but might be preferable for some 2013 open source (License: GPL v3) Syntax is highly compatible with Matlab Cross-platform (Windows, MacOSX, Unix/Unix-like) http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/index.html
Sage William A. Stein (and others) General scientific computing software - utilizes other computational software as part of its backend 30 Jan 2014 open source (License: Multiple (FOSS)) Very practical for python users MacOSX, Unix/Unix-like (binaries), Windows (virtualization) http://www.sagemath.org/
Anaconda Continuum Analytics General scientific computing software - primarily a python scientific computing frontend 9 Apr 2014 (License: EULA) An alternative to Sage on Windows for python computing Cross-platform (Windows, MacOSX, GNU/Linux) https://store.continuum.io/cshop/anaconda/

See Also