The countdown is over, and Kerbal Space Program 2 is heading into orbit. Godspeed, Kerbonauts. That’s just our fancy way of saying the sequel to Kerbal Space Program is out now in Early Access. Kerbal Space Program 2 brings the cute but hardcore space exploration simulation to the Epic Games Store. 

The Early Access release is one of the most eagerly anticipated launches of 2023, with the task of bringing the game’s detailed interpretation of rocket design and orbital mechanics to a wider audience. It is literally rocket science, but developers Intercept Games have worked on making it accessible. That’s no mean feat if you don’t know your apogee from your elbow, but with intuitive building, an easier-to-parse UI, and more, Kerbal Space Program 2 might just make rocket scientists out of you. 

We got on comms with Nate Simpson--Creative Director of Kerbal Space Program 2--to discuss what Early Access holds for the sequel’s pioneers, what it’s like building an entire solar system, and what’s new in the world of Kerbal Space Program.

Just like the original game, Kerbal Space Program 2 launches as an Early Access title, but it will be in a much more playable state than the original. The full Kerbolar System is available to the player right from lift-off. 



“You’ll have access to Sandbox Mode and the first four tutorials,” Nate Simpson said. “A wide array of new vehicle parts will be available on day one, and all the celestial bodies from the original KSP are present. They’ve all been re-imagined using our all-new terrain tools, so there’s a lot more variety in terms of what you’ll find while exploring the Kerbolar System.”  

The Kerbolar System has one main star, Kerbol, seven planets, and many moons. As the space program progresses, which takes time, effort, and countless calculations, the Kerbals will discover places like Mun and Duna. These are massive bodies in the depths of space, and each is one small step in the progress of the game. You build ever outwards. First into orbit, then to the moons and beyond. Such an expansion has a learning curve, where orbital mechanics will be taught to the player. To achieve this, the sequel will have tutorials, one big step for the team, and something that leans into Kerbal’s established silly approach: they’re cartoons. 

“We’re extremely proud of the completed tutorial experience,” Simpson said. “It combines entertaining videos with interactive simulations that can be accessed at any time during normal flight. We’ve learned that it’s extremely empowering to be able to pause gameplay when you encounter something you’re not sure about, jump into a relevant tutorial to get a refresher, and then return to your in-progress flight without missing a beat.”

Kerbal Space Program 2 allows players to create ships and fly them into space. Hopefully. Failure is expected, but the sequel helps you fail with style. A new vehicle assembly will present players with a lot more control over their designs than was previously possible. The new vehicle assembly area allows for construction with multiple subassemblies and a blueprint mode that gives you the ability to edit in plan view rather than in the huge factory where the ships are built. 

There are many new parts, like liquid hydrogen fuel tanks and engines, new structural parts, new wheels, new command pods. The customizable wings mean that players can procedurally reshape on the fly to fit their designs, and a new painting system allows them to have splashes of color or gaudy makeovers. 



Should you make it out of orbit and survive to reach another planetary body, you’ll encounter a stunning set of worlds. They’re also gorgeous and extremely detailed, the result of art and technology being taken into new territories by a team determined to dig deep into the creation of the world. 

“Our environment artists worked alongside subject matter experts and graphics engineers to bring a new level of realism to our celestial bodies, and now they frequently surprise us with their geological knowledge,” Simpson said. “They’ve had to co-develop a whole new terrain system that combines multiple octaves of detail to create a final result that seamlessly transitions between altitudes all the way from orbit down to pebble height. It’s been an immense challenge, but the results speak for themselves. I can’t wait for the first interstellar update – they've created some very impressive new celestial bodies that I know our team is eager for players to experience.”



The Interstellar update is some way off yet, both in terms of time and distance. It’s also something that the original Kerbal game never achieved. An indication of the scope and ambition of the new game is the roadmap. After the Early Access launch, major updates will include Science, with tech-tree progression. A Colonies update is planned before the Interstellar update introduces a new star system called “Debdeb.” An Exploration update will add a further solar system before the introduction of Multiplayer. 

Simpson explained the game’s expected development path: “The order in which the updates will arrive is determined by the degree to which each is dependent on its predecessor features. It would be a waste to introduce new star systems and interstellar technologies before we have on-orbit colonies at which to build the very large vehicles necessary to cross interstellar space. We will provide more detailed schedule information as we approach each update.” 



One thing missing on the roadmap is the Kerbals themselves. The little aliens have been key to the game’s success, and though unmentioned, they’ve been given an update as well. 
 
“Kerbals are certainly more visually distinct and behaviorally dynamic than they’ve ever been,” Simpson said. “When viewed in portrait view during flight, for example, they’re subjected to flight forces that push them in all directions, and their faces clearly express what they think of your piloting style. Kerbal customization and emotes are both areas where we expect to see a lot of expansion over the course of Early Access.” 

With so much change incoming, the team is hoping that you won’t have to start over again, but if you do, Simpson promises that you’ll have plenty of warning. 

“We are working hard on establishing an upgrade pipeline that will preserve players’ creations even after we add new features or make adjustments to old ones,” Simpson said. “While we cannot guarantee that no upcoming change will require the initiation of a new campaign, our goal is to minimize such disruptions and to over-communicate when such a change is imminent.”  

The community remains at the heart of the original game. The team understands that they have a lot of eager fans watching Kerbal Space Program 2 reaching for the stars. They won’t be left behind. 



“We’ve waited a long time for the community to join us on the journey toward 1.0,” Simpson said. “We know their ingenuity will express itself in unexpected and entertaining ways with KSP2. That same community has a legendary reputation for welcoming and supporting new players, and we can’t wait to see that eagerness to teach and inspire continue as a new generation of players picks up KSP2 for the first time!”

Kerbal Space Program 2 is out now in Early Access on the Epic Games Store.