(Originally posted 10/08/25 on Discord)
Parts update!
Internally we've been having great discussions about how to add depth and modularity to the experience of KSA when you're building craft; and we've focused on a few core concepts that KSP modding explored. Restock, BDB, Universal Storage and many others utilized a concept called "part switching" where a single part had multiple variants, giving craft design both greater utility and visual depth. One part could be adjusted in the VAB to suit the mission profile at hand, giving you freedom to adjust a rocket stack's appearance or function without tearing your whole craft apart to do so. Another concept was service module building - US2 leaned on this heavily. KSA will have a service module system where specific parts (we're calling them bay parts at the moment) cleanly interface with a common profile of central cores. This enables a cleaner more aerodynamic craft, alongside more conventional parts like radials and stack-mounted items. These bay parts have a common profile, radial symmetry, and fit in every available service module cleanly (including sockets in more advanced capsules). For our first batch of parts, we're focusing on a small suite that will set a great foundation for both of these concepts.
Saying that, we'd like to push the boundaries a little bit, and would love to bring in a more retro-futurism\cassettepunk\NASApunk vibe to things; something I personally loved bringing in with my Universal Storage 2 science parts. If you google Paul Pepera, I think he represented the style wonderfully. It's hard to see on work at this early stage, as proportions and scale have to come first, but his portfolio lives permanently on my second monitor for reference
On a technical standpoint, we've settled on doubling KSP's radial "standard" of 24 polygons around a part's circumference to 48. Part diameters are standardized (internally) in tidy meter-by-meter steps. 1m (tiny) 2m (small) 3m (medium) 4m (large) etc.
Parts update!
Internally we've been having great discussions about how to add depth and modularity to the experience of KSA when you're building craft; and we've focused on a few core concepts that KSP modding explored. Restock, BDB, Universal Storage and many others utilized a concept called "part switching" where a single part had multiple variants, giving craft design both greater utility and visual depth. One part could be adjusted in the VAB to suit the mission profile at hand, giving you freedom to adjust a rocket stack's appearance or function without tearing your whole craft apart to do so. Another concept was service module building - US2 leaned on this heavily. KSA will have a service module system where specific parts (we're calling them bay parts at the moment) cleanly interface with a common profile of central cores. This enables a cleaner more aerodynamic craft, alongside more conventional parts like radials and stack-mounted items. These bay parts have a common profile, radial symmetry, and fit in every available service module cleanly (including sockets in more advanced capsules). For our first batch of parts, we're focusing on a small suite that will set a great foundation for both of these concepts.
- A "medium" sized capsule, holds two kittens. This will have two or three customizable skins, options for crew passage on both ends, alongside a substructure that can be used as a lightweight rover body. This is designed as a homage to the Gemini spacecraft capsule - not intended to be an exact replica but a stylized "kittenized" version of it with tweaked proportions and style. Three sockets for bay parts exist behind the Kitten's heads; with cavities in the substructure for smaller radially attached parts.
- A small selection of bay parts (RCS tanks)
- RCS engines
- A heatshield
- A small profile service bay
- A small profile fuel tank
- And a Gemini-esque service module bay
Saying that, we'd like to push the boundaries a little bit, and would love to bring in a more retro-futurism\cassettepunk\NASApunk vibe to things; something I personally loved bringing in with my Universal Storage 2 science parts. If you google Paul Pepera, I think he represented the style wonderfully. It's hard to see on work at this early stage, as proportions and scale have to come first, but his portfolio lives permanently on my second monitor for reference
