#KISP: KAA Integrated Space Plan - A Vision of the Future of Kerbalkind

In 1989, Ronald Jones of Rockwell International (manufacturer of the Space Shuttle orbiter, among other things) made a giant flowchart called the Integrated Space Plan. The original has been scanned in high-definition here on Makezine, converted into a vector file by a reader of that site, updated in 2015 into a slick website, and here's some BBC commentary and a Wired article on it. It basically laid out, on one chart, the visions of all of the world's aerospace agencies and companies, on a path from the Space Shuttle in the 1980's to the beginning of "Human expansion into the cosmos" in 2100. It is extremely optimistic, proposing that we would have multiple permanent bases in LEO and on the Moon by now (2015), lunar tourism by the end of this decade, and terraforming Venus and Mars starting in the mid-21st century (e.g. "Create new moons for Mars if required", ca. 2040), among other ambitious projects (though, given the success of the LADEE probe's laser communication demonstrator, we may get the "Advanced laser comm network" a couple of decades earlier than Jones thought we would). It's the kind of optimism and ambition that drives my interest in aerospace engineering, and I think that it's what drives a lot of what we do in Kerbal Space Program, so I wanted to make an Integrated Space Plan illustrating my ultimate plans for spreading Kerbalkind throughout their solar system (and beyond).

I haven't come close to achieving every goal yet (I've only launched a couple of probes into interplanetary space), but I'm working on it. Presenting the KAA Integrated Space Plan!

[imgur]6mhLs[/imgur]

It comes in two forms. The first, vertically oriented, is what I call the "planets-in-sequence" approach, in which each planet's infrastructure is built up one after the other. The other, "planets-in-parallel", involves each planet's infrastructure being built up as soon as it is technologically feasible (launch windows and funding permitting, of course). Those of us who like to juggle a bunch of missions at once might find the parallel approach more familiar, though the sequential chart is more compact (and looks more like the original Integrated Space Plan to my eyes).

(I've put them both in spoiler blocks, since they're huge images.)

[spoiler=KISP planets-in-sequence, full resolution (HUGE IMAGE)] https://i.imgur.com/V10uVKn.png [/spoiler]

[spoiler=KISP planets-in-parallel, full resolution (HUGE IMAGE)] https://i.imgur.com/CvuD6gs.png [/spoiler]

##Essential Addons

Some of the nodes are only meaningful (or become more meaningful) if certain addons are installed:

• AntennaRange to justify building communication networks.
  • AntennaRange Relays by yours truly (and its dependency, Contract Configurator) is recommended, to get some extra funds to make the relays happen.
• Community Tech Tree to give some of these mods' parts proper nodes of their own to live in.
• Extraplanetary Launchpads for off-world manufacturing.
• Home-Grown Rockets for 1.875m ("Size 1.5") parts, great for launching interplanetary probes, crewed moon flybys, and small land-and-return missions while staying light. It really helps to smooth out the jump from Size 1 to Size 2.
  • HGR Community Fixes by yours truly will bring HGR up-to-date for 1.1.
  • Filter Extension is recommended to give these parts (and lots of other wacky cross-sections as well, contributed by yours truly :)) proper icons and descriptions in the "Filter by Cross-Section" category.
• SCANSat for planetary mapping functionality.
• The Umbra Space Industries family for sounding rockets, colony parts, enhanced ISRU and asteroid mining, exploration parts, life support, survival bits, and advanced fusion and warp engines.
  • LouisB3 has produced USILS patches for the mods below which add habitation parts.

##Recommended Addons

Other addons that I use which fit nicely in this plan:

• ADEPT (with dependency-removing and node-fixing patch to work in 1.0.x, with or without Deadly Reentry) and MonkeyWrench for heavy reusable (i.e. non-ablative) heat-shield parts.
  • MonkeyWrench's parts are likely going to be revised extensively, so be careful before using them, but the KIS configs (updated by yours truly) are pretty handy, and are available directly from the MonkeyWrench repository.
• Asteroid Day for asteroid-hunting infrastructure.
• Atomic Age and Nuclear Rockets (almost part of the USI family, still in development) for advanced nuclear engines.
• DDS4KSP by Lilleman, to crush old mods into less memory. :)
• Deep Freeze Continued to let explorers make long journeys without needing snacks in the meantime.
  • Field Experience (from Magico13's Modlets) so that said explorers don't have to come aaaallll the way back to Kerbin to gain the benefits of their experience.
• DMagic Orbital Science, Impact!, KDEX, Solar Science, Starwaster's Probe Science Patches, Surface Experiments Pack, and Tarsier Space Technologies for MOAR SCIENCE! Gotta unlock all of those new nodes somehow.
  • The Field Research contract pack to help grab new science.
• Kerbal Attachment System and Kerbal Inventory System for in-situ assembly, transfer, and repair options (I've saved several missions with them).
  • Infernal Robotics (with replacement models and expansion packs) for more articulation and in-situ assembly options.
  • Universal Storage and Multipurpose Express Pallet System (with my thermal and sorting patch) for more storage and transfer options.
  • OSE Workshop for in-situ part production.
• Karibou and Malemute (almost part of the USI family, still in development) and KMPI (Inline Ballutes, Mobile Frame System, and Stork Delivery System) for heavy-duty lander and ground vehicle parts.
  • Be sure to grab the updated JSI Part Utilities from the back-end of the MFS thread
• Mk2 Expansion and Mk3 Expansion for more mid/late game spaceplane parts.
  • Instell Inc. Experimental Aerodynamics and Mk3 Hypersonic Systems for small and large (respectively) late game spaceplanes.
• The NecroBones family for super-heavy launchers (SpaceY and SpaceY Expanded), big lander parts (Lithobrake Exploration Technology), and filling a few stock gaps and supplying other nifty parts (Modular Rocket Systems).
  • If you're using stock aerodynamics, you'll need AnimatedDecouplers to let the MRS LAS shroud protect stuff.
• Netherdyne Mass Drivers (there's a WIP 1.1.3 revival for kicking resources (or anything else, for that matter) from moon mines to orbital or planetary manufacturing plants.
• RLA Stockalike and SSR MicroSat for small satellites and launchers.
• SurfaceLights for lights that don't take up half the surface area of a spacecraft.
• Taurus HCV for heavy crewed vessels.
• Universal Docking Ports from Kip Engineering for universal space tugs and refueling stations.
• XT Landertrons repurposes some BD models into a set of Soyuz-like braking engines. (Be sure to grab my recompile.)

###Extra Recommendations

I used to use these with 0.25, then I stopped during 1.0.x for memory reasons, and now that 1.1 brings Unity 5 and 64-bit executables, I'm using them again (and EVE and Ven's Stock Revamp). They're cool, but be advised that many of them take up lots of memory (>100 MB each in some cases) and are largely duplicated by several mods listed above.

• Angel125's Mark One Laboratory Extension for early-game science and 1.875m parts, and Pathfinder and Buffalo for smaller "seed" colonies and exploration.
• BoxSat, for small satellite parts and easy in-field assembly.
• ESLD Jump Beacons for planet-to-planet warp jumps.
• Kerbonov for early- and mid-game airplane parts (especially for smaller vehicles).
• K. Yeon's OPT Space Plane Parts (with **community 1.1.x releases) for more large spaceplane parts.
• Nertea's Near Future Technologies and Kerbal Atomics for more mid-to-late-ish deep-space propulsion options, Stockalike Station Parts Expansion for some cool space station parts, Mk. IV Spaceplane System for massive cargo spaceplanes, Heat Control for nuclear reactor and ISRU cooling, and Cryogenic Engines for advanced chemical engines.
• Orbital Material Science (which has an unofficial 1.1 build) and Station Science for more science and more reasons to make space stations.
• Planetary Base Systems for collapsible base parts in an alternative form factor.
  • DStaal has some patches to improve UKS integration.
• QuizTech Aero Pack (with continuation) for some later-game airplane parts.
• Eskandare's Thermonuclear Turbines for some slick-sounding nuclear jets.

###Former Recommendations

Addons which I don't use anymore (mostly because they've fallen out of date with the massive overhaul of 1.1, or I've grown away from them), but do fit in this plan:

• The ASET family, for landers (ALCOR), rovers (ERS and Portable Rover Components with KIS update patch) and Deployable Light Globes (and KIS update patch and Vanguard Technologies Plugin). Konquest will have more cool colonization bits when it gets completed.
  • Keep an eye on CxAerospace as well; it doesn't have any heat shielding ability yet, but it will, and it will have other cool colonization bits when it's finished.
• BahamutoD's Adjustable Landing Gear for flexibility in designing aircraft. They've also got motors, which is great for taxiing to survey waypoints with landed aircraft!
  • BahamutoD made some other cool stuff, like the Critter Crawler and retractable rocket engines (be sure you're using the BDAnimationModules.dll from Adjustable Landing Gear) and a set of docking parts, including shielded Size 2 docking ports, but mind the node orientations with that one. If you're going to use the Mk1-2 propulsion skirt, be sure to grab my hotfix patch.
• Dr. Jet's Chop Shop for more lander and rover parts.
• Civilian Population (with revival) to allow colonies to be populated without having to bring new colonists aaaallll the way from Kerbin (handy for settling other planets, and for setting up Kerbinoid vs. Spacenoid conflicts -- feel free to use BD Armory to act out said conflicts, but that's beyond the scope of the Integrated Space Plan).
• Firespitter for early-game airplane parts (e.g. propellers, landing gear). (Obviously, I kept the plugin.)
• Hangar for keeping utility vehicles on-base without turning the game into "Space Slideshow Simulator 2011". (This one's going through beta testing for 1.0.x, so be careful.)
• Hooligan Labs for inflatable airships (handy for Eve or Laythe exploration -- or Kerbin exploration, for that matter).
  • Discreet Parts for collapsible airplanes and airships that can be carried inside or launched on top of rockets. (In 1.0.5, I used this instead of Hooligan Labs -- keeping the HL DLL only.)
• Kerbal Foundries for cool tank treads and hover parts.
• Lack Luster Labs for more cool spacecraft parts (especially for long-range cruisers), and Stock Extension for more gap-filling. (I've kept the Mk3 ramp, the inline goo cannister, and the size 0 fairing and heat shield.)
  • Also Logan Darklighter's Eagle and Karbonite adaptations (Karbonite bits only work on 0.25, though).
• TAC-LS for a life support system grounded in reality (and a lot less forgiving).
  • Cargo Transfer Bags and HexCans have some nice storage parts for TAC-LS resources.
• Zero-Point Inline Fairings by NecroBones. If you're going to use this with stock aero, you'll need AnimatedDecouplers.

###Alternate Suggestions

Addons which I haven't used (or don't use on my main install), but probably would fit nicely in this plan:

• Angel-125's Deep Space Exploration Vessels for mid- to late-game space exploration parts.
• B9 Aerospace (with ongoing community updates) for heavy spaceplanes and spacecraft.
• Behemoth Aerospace Engineering for what I can only describe as ultra-heavy launchers.
• CactEye Orbital Telescope for more asteroid-hunting infrastructure.
• Dynamic Texture Loader, from the maker of ATM, to unload part textures until you're actually using the part in question.
• Parameciumkid's Jump Drive for in-system warp jumps.
• Extraplanetary Launchpads Extended for workshops in the USI MKS and OKS form factors (but following EL's resource processing sequence).
• Interstellar (Extended) for more end-game options.
• KW Rocketry and NovaPunch for heavy rockets.
• RemoteTech as an alternative to AntennaRange.
• WarpShip for advanced space exploration vessel parts and spacedocks.

##Changelog

• 2015 Feb 06 -- Initial release.
• 2015 Sep 08 -- Version 1.1.
  • Updated chart to include size 1.5 vehicles.
  • Updated mod suggestions for 1.0.4.
• 2016 Mar 21 -- Updated mod suggestions for 1.0.5.
• 2016 Apr 28 -- Updated mod suggestions for 1.1.

##Roadmap

I may refine or rearrange the plan over time, especially as I achieve more of the goals and get a better idea of what steps are prerequisites for what, but it probably won't change drastically. I might make a "KISP Chronicles" mission report series depicting my efforts as well.

Now that KSP 1.1 has the KSPedia system, I might be able to make a KISP chart that can be viewed in-game...

There are also a few very minor gaps in the space plan that aren't covered by the above list of mods. I'm working on making those myself...stay tuned!

##Challenge

Note that I call this the KAA Integrated Space Plan for a reason -- it's very dependent on the technology tree and addons that I use, and my priorities. This is my plan. What's yours?