KOS-31

Lore & Background

In the world of Kerbal Space Program, the Kerbal Space Center is a modest facility on the planet Kerbin where a race of small, round-headed green spacefarers dreams of reaching the stars. The KOS designation system marks each astronaut's place in the program's history. KOS-31 represents a later-generation Kerbal, one who came after the pioneering first flights and the early Mun expeditions, carrying forward a tradition of duct-taped engineering and sheer optimism.

The Kerbal space program is defined by its mix of genuine wonder and chaotic engineering. Rockets are held together with clamps and hope. Trajectories are calculated on napkins. And yet, somehow, these small green astronauts keep reaching orbit, keep slingshotting around Duna, keep landing on the icy surface of Minmus. KOS-31 is part of that tradition: a Kerbal who strapped in, counted down, and went somewhere no Kerbal had gone before.

The community has embraced the Kerbals as characters in their own right. Each KOS number carries a small mythology built by players over thousands of hours of gameplay. KOS-31, like all Kerbals, is a symbol of the game's core promise: that anyone, no matter how small or green, can reach the stars with enough thrust and a willingness to ignore the warning lights.

In Their Own Story

The launch pad hummed with the vibration of a solid rocket booster that was, by any engineering standard, barely in one piece. KOS-31 sat in the capsule, helmet visor down, watching the countdown numbers tick through the small viewport. The Kerbal Space Center crowd below was a blur of green and orange, waving and cheering.

"T-minus ten... nine... eight..." The controller's voice crackled over the comms, slightly staticky, as it always did.

KOS-31 thought about the last time this had gone wrong. The last time a Kerbal had been lost to a tumbling, spinning, absolutely magnificent disaster over the ocean. The last time the recovery team had fished a pressure suit out of the salt water and the whole KSC had gone quiet for a day.

"Three... two... one... ignition."

The world became fire and force. The small green Kerbal was pinned to the seat, watching the ground fall away, watching Kerbin's blue-green curve open up below. Somewhere out there, past the thin blue, past the black, was a destination. KOS-31 grinned behind the visor.

"KSC, this is KOS-31. We are... well. We are going somewhere."

Reader's Guide

CREW DOSSIER — KOS-31

Full Designation: KOS-31, Kerbal astronaut in the KSC roster. The KOS number is the primary identifier used in the game's crew management system.

Role: Kerbal Astronaut / Spacefarer. Available for assignment to any mission the player designs, from suborbital test hops to multi-body interplanetary transfers.

Career Arc: As a later-numbered Kerbal in the roster, KOS-31 represents the ongoing tradition of Kerbal spaceflight. In any given playthrough, KOS-31 may be a veteran with dozens of logged flights or a rookie on their first suborbital test. Their career is shaped entirely by the player's ambitions and engineering skill.

Notable Missions: Defined by the player. The Kerbal has been to the Mun, to Minmus, to Duna, to Eeloo, to the Jool system, and beyond—limited only by the player's delta-v budget and nerve.

Cause of Death: In any given playthrough, KOS-31 may survive indefinitely or be lost to a launch failure, a botched reentry, or the infamous slow tumble into the ocean. The game tracks each Kerbal's status.

Community Notes: The KOS numbering system is a beloved part of KSP's identity. Players often assign personalities to their favorite KOS numbers, writing fan fiction about their adventures. KOS-31, like all Kerbals, is a small green figure in an orange suit—a symbol of the game's chaotic, joyful, duct-taped approach to space exploration.

Did You Know?

• Kerbal Space Program features a roster of dozens of Kerbal astronauts, each with a unique KOS number, available for players to assign to any mission in career or sandbox mode.
• In KSP, Kerbals can be lost to accidents during any phase of a mission—launch failures, reentry burns, or the infamous slow tumble into the ocean—and the game tracks their status across the career.
• The Kerbal Space Center (KSC) is the home base for all Kerbal astronauts, featuring the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Flight Test Center, and the launch pads where rockets are fueled and launched.
• The first Kerbals in the program—Jebediah, Bill, Bob, Valentina, Linus, and Max—hold the lowest KOS numbers and are often the first crew players assign to early suborbital and orbital test flights.