Kerbal Space Program is Back in Fashion Thanks to Artemis II Launch

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There’s an old saying that it’s better to aim high and overshoot than to aim low and fall short. With the Artemis II mission, the plan isn’t to hit the moon directly, but to fly past it – a close miss – before returning to Earth.

The Artemis II mission marks the most daring crewed flight to the moon since the height of the Space Race. It’s a crucial step for NASA’s plans to eventually build a lasting human base on the moon, and it’s also inspiring a new generation through its inclusion in the popular game, Kerbal Space Program.

Kerbal is Back, Baby

Since its launch in 2015, the dedicated players of Kerbin have been pioneers in virtual space travel. Over the past ten years, they’ve fearlessly tested countless, often risky, designs – with a lot of spectacular crashes! But when a mission does succeed, all the setbacks are instantly forgotten.

Many new users are celebrating a recent achievement, and that’s thanks to the Artemis II launch.

I was so excited watching Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen launch from Kennedy Space Center on April 1st! It was amazing, and it felt like right as they blasted off, the Kerbal Space Program community just exploded with new builders and ideas – it was incredible to see!

As of today, NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission is more than halfway to the moon. Interestingly, the video game Kerbal Space Program is also experiencing a surge in popularity on Steam, reaching its highest player numbers since 2020 – and this time, it’s all by choice, not due to pandemic lockdowns. Players are freely enjoying (and sometimes failing at) building and launching rockets.

Many new users are thrilled with the recent success, and it’s all thanks to the Artemis II launch.

Kerbal Space Program has over 10,000 players on Steam right now, and it’s also playable on Epic Games, PlayStation, and Xbox. Player numbers are still increasing, but it’s hard to say if it will ever reach its highest peak from 2015.

No matter what happens next, it’s encouraging to see Kerbal Space Program inspiring a new wave of players. This is especially welcome considering the difficulties faced by Kerbal Space Program 2, which launched with significant problems and ultimately led to the development studio effectively closing down and the game remaining indefinitely in early access after receiving negative reviews.

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The original Kerbal Space Program fostered a close community and benefited from incredibly talented modders, who have kept the spirit of the game going. Now, with the Artemis II mission, that excitement is being rekindled.

Want to see a cool mashup? This KSP recreation of the Artemis Program is worth checking out. And a helpful tip: if things don’t go as planned, just add more boosters – you can repeat that as many times as necessary!

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2026-04-05 01:41