Welcome to the world of Kerbal Space Program, where science meets mayhem and curiosity fuels every launch. In this comprehensive beginner tutorial by Scott Manley, we’ll walk through the basics of starting a new career mode save—from taking your first contracts to launching your inaugural rocket and earning your first science points. If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by parts, staging, or flight, this guide is the perfect place to start.

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Why Career Mode?

While sandbox mode offers unlimited parts and freedom, career mode offers structure and progression. It’s an excellent way to learn the game organically, gradually unlocking parts and managing resources like funds, reputation, and science. The added challenge also makes each success more rewarding.

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Starting a New Game

To begin:

• Choose “Career Mode.”
• Customize your flag (for fun) and name your save.
• Leave difficulty on Normal—it’s already quite accessible. You can toggle settings like reentry heating or ground stations later if needed.

Upon starting, you’ll meet Gene Kerman, the game’s mission coordinator. You’re dropped into the Kerbal Space Center, which features multiple buildings. For now, only two matter:

• Mission Control: Where you accept contracts.
• Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB): Where you construct rockets.

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Accepting Your First Contracts

Head to Mission Control, hidden behind the VAB. Accept these two contracts:

1. Launch your first vessel
2. Gather scientific data from Kerbin (specifically, perform a crew report before launch)

Both contracts can be completed in a single launch.

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Building Your First Rocket

Go to the VAB. You’ll be guided by Werner von Kerman—a reference to the real-life rocket pioneer.

Here’s what to build:

1. Mark 1 Command Pod – Your capsule and control hub.
2. RT-5 “Flea” Solid Rocket Booster – Simple, powerful, but burns out fast.
3. Mk16 Parachute – For safe return.

Drag parts into the center build area, snapping them together with the green attachment dots.

Now address staging:

• By default, the parachute and engine may activate together—this is bad.
• Add a new stage and separate them:
  • Stage 1: Solid Booster
  • Stage 0: Parachute

Check the engineer’s report for any warnings. Once everything looks good, hit Launch!

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Performing Science and Launching

Your first pilot is Jebediah Kerman, fearless and always smiling.

Before launch:

• Right-click the command pod and select Crew Report
• Click Keep Experiment to save the data

Now hit Spacebar to launch. Watch your speed and altitude climb, and note the messages as you fulfill contract objectives and break speed/altitude records.

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Deploying the Parachute and Recovery

Once the solid booster burns out, you’ll start descending. At a safe altitude (~1,000m or lower):

• Press Spacebar again to deploy the parachute (Stage 0)
• It will partially deploy first, then fully open below 500m

Use time warp (top-left corner) to speed up the descent. Upon landing, click Recover Vessel from the top menu to finalize the mission.

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Mission Debrief and Rewards

After recovery, you’ll see a summary:

• Science Earned: From the crew report and flight
• Funds Recovered: For any reusable parts
• Reputation Gained: Boosted by success, hurt by deaths

In total, this first flight nets about 10 science points—enough to unlock your next set of tech.

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Spending Science: Unlocking Tech

Go to the Research and Development facility (bottom building on the KSC map).

• Spend science to unlock Basic Rocketry, Engineering 101, and other early nodes.
• These unlock new parts like decouplers, fuel tanks, and liquid fuel engines

The tech tree is expansive, eventually unlocking everything from spaceplanes to nuclear propulsion. But for now, just unlock the first tiers.

Also explore the Science Archives, which track what experiments you’ve run and where. Each location (e.g., Launch Pad, Flying, Space) only offers limited science per experiment.

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What’s Next?

With new parts unlocked, Part 2 of the tutorial will focus on:

• Building rockets with liquid fuel engines
• Using decouplers
• Reaching higher altitudes and new biomes

Congratulations on your first successful launch in career mode! You’ve learned the fundamentals of:

• Taking contracts
• Building rockets
• Performing science
• Managing recovery and upgrades

From here, the sky—or rather, space—is no longer the limit. Stay tuned for more tutorials. Until then, as Scott Manley always says:

Fly safe!