Easy Beginner’s Construction Guide [WIP]

Overview

A very simple guide detailing all of the stock parts in KSP as of 0.23.5, to help new players understand just what each part does and what all those crazy values might mean. The order of the part goes from left to right.Structural, Aerodynamic, and Utility are not started yet.Future plans for this are more detailed descriptions, tips for building craft, continued updating and formatting, and when I get better internet, images of each part.Feel free to comment or give me a suggestion.

Pods

The Pods tab contains all things related to putting Kerbals or unmanned probes into the deepest reaches of the cosmos. Most pods come with some sort of electric charge for operation (though not much) and RCS for a little bit of control.

Manned:

PPD-12 Cupola Module
The PPD-12 is a 1-occupant heavy space station module that sort of resembles the one onboard the ISS. 2.5m.

Mk1 Lander Can
This one is a useful 1-occupant, 1.25m lander that can be used for a majority of landings.

Mk1 Cockpit
A 1-occupant plane cockpit, and the only one with an interior as of 0.23.5.

Mk2 Cockpit
An inline plane cockpit (meaning it needs a nose cone) that is slightly heavier than the Mk1.

Mk3 Cockpit
A massive cockpit that looks a bit like an awkward Space Shuttle cockpit. Fits 3 occupants.

Mk1-2 Command Pod
A larger, heavier, 2.5m capsule capable of seating 3 Kerbals.

Command Pod Mk1
A small, 1-seater command pod that resembles a Mercury capsule. Heavier than the Mk1 lander can.

Mk2 Lander Can
A cylindrical, 2.5m, 2-seater lander. Useful in Kerbin’s SOI.

Unmanned

Probodobodyne QBE
A small, cube shaped probe core. All probe cores need some sort of electric power (panels or RTG’s) to continue running.

Probodobodyne HECS
Like the QBE, but shaped like a hexagon.

Probodobodyne OKTO
See above, except shaped like an octagon.

Probodobodyne OKTO2
Like an OKTO, but flattened.

Stayputnik Mk.2
Looks like the Soviet Sputnik ball-shaped craft. Is 1.25m, unlike the previous ones, which are all 0.625m.

RC-L01 Remote Guidance Unit
A 1.25m flat disc that operates as a probe core.

RC-001S Remote Guidance Unit
A 2.5m flat disc, like the one above.

EAS-1 External Command Seat
This one is essentially a seat, in which a Kerbal can climb in and ride. Useful for manned buggys or, for the crazier, strapping Kerbals to rockets.

Propulsion

Propulsion has all the rocket engines and tanks that you need to actually get off the ground. Rockets engines should preferably be placed underneath a fuel tank (or on the side for radial engines). Keep in mind that once solid rockets are on, they can not be shut down.

S1 SRB-KD25k
A large, 1.25m Solid rocket booster useful on lower stages.

LFB KR-1×2
A rocket and fuel tank combo that is good for a first stage of a Kerbin-orbit rocket.

Kerbodyne KR-2L Advanced Engine
A large, 3.75m (I think, I can’t recall the next size up from 2.5m) rocket engine.

S3 KS-25×4 Engine Cluster
Like the KR-2L, but with 4 clustered engines, and is the most powerful stock engine in the game.

KD S3-14400
The largest fuel tank in terms of fuel, is 3.75m wide.

KD S3-7200
A half-sized variant of the S3-14400.

KD S3-3600
A quarter-sized variant of the S3-3600.

Rockomax Skipper
A 2.5m engine that is useful as either a first or upper stages, as it has good thrust and good efficiency.

Jet Engine
A basic jet engine, requiring a jet fuselage and some sort of intake.

LV-T30
A powerful 1.25m engine.

Rockomax Mainsail
The largest 2.5m engine in the game, with good thrust, but is not always as effective as the Skipper.

LV-T45
Like the LV-T30, but with a gimbal (allowing the engine to pivot to control the craft), and is therefore heavier and less powerful.

Rockomax Poodle
The smallest 2.5m engine, useful for landing craft or upper stages.

LV-900
A small, but highly efficient 1.25m engine useful for anything from deep space missions to landing.

Rockomax 48-7S
A small engine (0.625m) useful for small probes.

LV-1
A very small engine used with the Oscar-B tank for infinitesimally small probes.

LV-N Atomic Rocket Motor
A nuclear rocket that has low thrust but extremely high ISP (a measure of a rocket’s efficiency) and are extremely useful for deep space work.

LV-1R
Like the LV-1, but is radially mounted.

Mark 55 Radial Mount Engine
A nice radial engine, but is outclassed by some of the standard engines.

R.A.P.I.E.R.
An interesting dual-cycle engine (meaning it can operate like both a jet engine and a rocket engine) that is useful for SSTO attempts.

Sepratron I
A small solid booster used to separate radial stages.

Rockomax 24-77
A small radial engine like the 48-7S useful for small probes.

RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster
A small and powerful 1.25m SRB for smaller craft.

BACC
A taller 1.25m SRB that can be used for larger rockets.

Toroidal Aerospike
A neat and efficient engine, but it cannot be used on an uper stage as it has no bottom mount point.

TurboJet Engine
A more powerful air breathing engine that is more useful at higher altitudes.

FL-T400
A small fuel tank, 1.25m in size.

X200-32
A larger, 2.5m fuel tank that can be useful for second stages when paired with a Skipper.

X200-16
Half size of the X200-32.

Jumbo-64
A massive fuel tank that can be useful for first stages. However, Mainsails tend to overheat when attached to this tank.

X200-8
Half size of the X200-16, when paired with a Poodle makes a good lander engine.

FL-T200
Half size of the FL-T400.

FL-T100
Quarter-size of the FL-T400.

FL-T800
Double size of the FL-T400, and can work as a small first or upper stages.

OSCAR-B Fuel Tank
A very tiny fuel tank useful with the LV-1/LV-1R.

Mk1 Fuselage
The smallest size of jet engine fuselage.

Mk2 Fuselage
A wider variant of the Mk1 fuselage.

Mk2 to size 1 adapter
A fueled adapter that allows a smaller cockpit to be attached to a Mk2 fuselage.

Mk3 Fuselage
A ridiculously large fuselage for the Mk3 cockpit.

Mk3 to Mk2 adapter.
An adapter to attach an Mk2 fueslage to an Mk3.

Stratus-V Roundified Monopropellant Tank
A sphere shaped, radially-mounted RCS tank.

FL-R25
A standard 1.25m RCS tank.

FL-R1
A large, 2.5m RCS tank.

FL-R10
A smaller, 0.625m fuel tank.

Stratus-V Cylindrified Monopropellant Tank
A larger radially mounted RCS tank.

ROUND-8 Toroidal Fuel Tank
An odd fuel tank shaped like an inner tube. Is rather small.

FTX-2 Fuel Duct
These are useful for taking fuel from a radially mounted fuel tank and siphoned ti an engine it is not directly attached to. Attach to tank, then engine. Are also necessary for asparagus staging.

Control

The Control tab contains all things needed for reaction wheels and RCS (though not the RCS fuel itself) to keep yourself going not towards impending doom.

Inline Advanced Stabilizer
A 1.25m disc containing a control system, just like the inline reaction wheel, but a bit heavier.

Advanced SAS Module, Large
A 2.5m disc for controlling larger craft (and is for some reason lighter than the aforementioned smaller module…)

Inline Reaction Wheel
Basically the same thing as the Inline Advanced Stabilizer, but lighter. Put on top of your craft for maximum effectiveness.

Place-Anywhere 7 Linear RCS Port
An RCS thruster that allows for flight control.

RV-105 RCS Thruster Block
Another RCS thruster, however this one not only controls the craft but can also be used to move forward, backward, up, down, left, and right with the RCS control keys, and are needed for docking operations.

Structural

Aerodynamic

Utility

Science

Science parts help make your craft look more spaceworthy, really. All scientific modules are only useful in Career Mode, and can only be used once, unless the craft has a Mobile Processing Lab.

Sensor Array Computing Nose Cone
A nose cone outfitted with computers to bring in atmospheric data.

Mystery Goo Containment Unit
A cylindrical experimental module.

Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2
A pretty big cylindrical shaped lab unit that allows for the processing of surface samples and can refurbish used modules.

SC-9001 Science Jr.
A science experiment module that looks vaguely like a fuel tank.

Communotron 88-88
A satellite dish shaped antenna.

Communotron 16
A narrow antenna.

Comms DTS-M1
Another antenna that deploys sideways.

Double-C Acclerometer
A small instrument useful for montoring acceleration.

PresMat Barometer
An instrument for detecting atmospheric pressure.

GRAVMAX Negative Gravioli Detector
An instrument that detects the value of surface gravity.

2HOT Thermometer
A thermometer that really does not work correctly, sadly.