Game Mechanics & Physics
25 entries in the Kerbal Space Program compendium.
SASThe silent guardian that keeps Kerbals from spinning out of control in the void.Oberth EffectBurn at the lowest possible periapsis to gain maximum speed.RCSThe precise thrusters that keep Kerbals oriented when the main engines fall silent.AerobrakingHarness atmospheric drag to save fuel and shape orbits safely.Gravity TurnBend the rocket's path with gravity to save fuel and reach orbit.Parachute DeploymentThe fabric shield that turns a fiery reentry into a safe return home.Docking ClampsThe successful orbital shakedown cruise that validated Boeing's Starliner after software fOrbital Mechanics (Keplerian Ellipses)The ellipse is not a suggestion; it is the law that keeps your Kerbal from becoming a cratAerodynamic LiftPoint a wing into the wind and the sky owes you a push.Structural Stress & Part BreakageYour orbit is perfect; your second-stage tank just became a very expensive meteor.Aerodynamic DragThe atmosphere is not your friend, and it gets angrier the faster you go.Propellant Management (Fuel/Oxidizer)Run out of oxidizer mid-burn and your beautiful rocket becomes an expensive paperweight.Newtonian Physics (F = ma)The universe doesn't care about your mission patch; it only cares about your thrust vectorGravitational Pull (Gravity Wells)Every planet is a cage with a door, and the door is exactly three radii wide.Thrust-to-Weight Ratio (TWR)If your TWR says no, the rocket stays put—no matter how loud the engines scream.Specific Impulse (Isp)The one number that decides whether your Kerbal reaches orbit or becomes very expensive spDelta-v (Δv)You do not spend fuel; you spend velocity, and velocity is finite.G-Force on Kerbals & PartsThe green little guy has a limit, and the sky does not care about your schedule.Orbital DecayThe atmosphere is patient, and it always collects its due.Terminal VelocityGravity never stops pulling, but the air always wins the argument.Atmospheric Reentry HeatingThe sky is on fire, and your parts are counting down to vaporization.Gravity Assist (Slingshot Maneuver)Borrow a planet's momentum, trade it for direction, and coast where fuel never reaches.Stage Separation (Decouplers)One small click, and a thousand kilograms of spent casing tumbles away into the void.Hohmann Transfer OrbitsTwo burns, one elegant ellipse, and every Kerbal's first step off the home world.RCS ThrustingSix tiny nozzles between you and a graceful orbit.
Browse Game Mechanics & Physics in the interactive codex →