Over the last few days I've been pretty hooked on Kerbal Space Program. It might look like some sort of thinly disguised edutainment game on the surface, but it's actually an incredibly fun and addictive rocket simulator -- especially if you're a space geek like myself. While it's a blast (pun intended) to build a Kerbal rocket from scratch, I have a certain affinity for the real rockets that captured the hearts and minds of everyone decades ago. Now, thanks to some fellow space junkies, I can: here are three excellent mods that help to turn Kerbal Space Program into an interactive visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.


Soyuz & Lander Mod

With its four conical rockets strapped to the towering rocket cylinder, the Soyuz rocket design still looks like it's from the future. This mod will not only give you the parts to assemble your very own Soyuz rocket, but you'll also get a moon lander vehicle. Rocket assembly is also fairly easy thanks to the included PDF instructions. It's an incredibly powerful rocket that will easily break orbit and send you flying to the moon... or crash into it like I managed to do. Download Here



Project Gemini

I've probably seen The Right Stuff a dozen times. If you're a fan of original Mercury 7 astronauts Alan Shepard and John Glenn, you'll enjoy placing the Gemini capsule on top of some of your favorite rocket designs -- or you can launch the capsule right off of the launchpad. To compliment the capsule, I'd recommend you also download NovaPunch's Remix Pack, which contains a slew of other useful rocket parts. Oh, and don't forget to play Gustav Holst's Mars when you're about to launch into space. Download Here



Apollo 13

Sure, Apollo 13 may not have completed its mission, but at least it returned its crew safely to the Earth -- unlike the vast majority of my Kerbal test pilots. Now you have a chance for 100% completion thanks to this amazing mod. It's still a work in progress (as most mods are), but in its current state it'll at least get you into orbit and let you check out the various rocket stages and a well-detailed lunar module. Keep an eye on the official forum thread for future updates. Download Here




Spy Guy says: This reminds me of the time I infiltrated the Russian space program disguised as Lance Bass. My cover was blown when I couldn't remember the words to Bye Bye Bye, and I had to fight my way past Vladimir Putin to escape his secret moon base.