ISRU

This feature aims at introducing resource management in KSP2:

• a large collection of resources is available to the player to mine or harvest,
• new parts are added to store those resources, to scan for resources, or to convert them into fuel.

ISRU core principles

Resource distribution

• Rare resources are found on only 2-3 worlds.

Harvesting resources

• Players are incited to harvest so they can have resources unavailable at the KSC.
• Drilling gets you all the resources available at the location. Resources that can't be stored on the vessel are ignored.

Resource processing

• It's not possible to produce methalox on worlds with very valuable resources.

Tech progression

• Non-colony ISRU parts are very limited and simple, and need a lot of power and generate a lot of heat, and are only able to make methalox and monoprop.
• As technologies unlock, the processes get simpler. Eary processes (with ship parts) are complex, later processes (with colony parts) are simple (but at a greater power cost).
• More expensive, bigger drills can drill all the resources that the previous generations could, plus some new ones.

Gameplay progression (WIP)

Tier	Major tech unlocked	Tech column	Needed resources	Reachable bodies	Comment
1	Methalox engines	1	Methalox (Carbon, Oxygen) (fuel) Steel (part)	Mun Minmus	Tier 1: players can't yet scan or harvest resources
	Command pods	1	Aluminium, Silicon
	Parachutes	1	Carbon
	Solid boosters	3	Solid fuel (Amonium, Aluminium) (fuel) Steel (part)
	Batteries	3	Steel, Lithium
	Solar panels	3	Aluminium, Silicon, Amonium
	RCS, Monoprop engines	5	Nitrogen, Hydrogen (fuel) Steel (part)
2	Nuclear engines	13	Hydrogen (fuel) Steel (part)	Duna Ike Eve Gilly	Tier 2 players can scan for limited resources and produce methalox and monoprop
	Xenon engines	14	Xenon (fuel) Steel (part)
3	Fuel cells	18	Methalox (fuel) Steel (part)	Moho Jool system Dres Eeloo	Tier 3 players can scan for all resources except exotic particles and set up colonies with trade routes
	Fission reactors	20	Plutonium (fuel) Steel (part)
4	Radioisotope generators	22	Uranium (fuel) Steel (part)		Tier 4 players can scan for all resources

Resources by order of apparition:

1. Methalox
2. Steel
3. Aluminium
4. Silicon
5. Solid fuel
6. Lithium
7. Amonium
8. Nitrogen
9. Hydrogen
10. Xenon
11. Plutonium
12. Uranium

Gameplay nominal arc

Tier 1

Players can't yet scan or harvest resources.

Tier 2

Players gain access to:

- a low-tech scanner : Water, Carbon, Nitrogen, CO2

- small and radial holding tanks for liquids, gases and solids

- a small convertotron

- a small drill

- a small air intake

Players can scan and harvest resources on the Mun, Minmus and Duna.

Players can produce methalox and monoprop.

Tier 3

Players can access to:

- a high-tech scanner: all resources except exotic particles

- medium-size holding tanks

- a big convertotron

- a big drill

- a big air intake

- a pump

- the colonly founder

- basic colony parts: storage, crew quarter, small VAB, farms

Players can scan and harvest resources on Eve, Moho, Dres and the Jool system.

Players can produce all processed resources.

Players can set up basic colonies.

Tier 4

Players gain access to:

- mining colony parts: colony-size drill, convertotron, air intake, interplanetary scanner (exotic particles rated)

- medium VAB

Players can scan and harvest resources on all bodies.

Players can set up trade routes.

Tier 5

Players gain access to:

- big VAB

- interstellar parts

Ways of producing resources

Target resource		Process	Needs	Process	Needs	Process
Methalox	Methane	Intake atmo	-	-	-	-
		Convertotron	Carbon	Drill	-	-
				Refinery	CO2	Intake atmo
			Hydrogen	Electrolyzer	Water	Drill (frozen)
						Pump
				Intake atmo	-	-
	Oxydizer	Convertotron	Oxygen	Green farm	CO2	Intake atmo
				Electrolyzer	Water	Drill (frozen)
Monoprop		Convertotron	Nitrogen	Drill (frozen)	-	-
				Intake atmo	-	-
			Hydrogen	Electrolyzer	Water	Drill (frozen)
						Pump
				Intake atmo	-	-
Steel		Foundry	Iron	Drill	-	-
				Refinery	Regolith	Drill
			Carbon	Drill	-	-
				Refinery	CO2	Intake atmo
Aluminium		Drill	-	-	-	-
		Refinery	Regolith	Drill	-	-
Solid fuel		Convertotron	Amonium
			Aluminium	Drill	-	-
				Refinery	Regolith	Drill
Lithium		Drill	-	-	-	-
Amonium		Drill	-	-	-	-

Mineable resources

Body	Raw resources	Harvest from tier	Usefulness
Mun	Nitrogen	2	To make monoprop from tier 2
	Water	2	To make methalox and monoprop from tier 2 To make hydrolox from tier 3
	Regolith	3	To make aluminium for parts (command pods, solar panels) from tier 3 To make aluminium for solid fuel for boosters from tier 3
Minmus	Iron	3	To make steel for parts (engines, boosters, generators) from tier 3
	Silicon	3	To make parts (command pods) from tier 3
Duna	Carbon	2	To make methalox from tier 2
	CO2	2	To make methalox from tier 2 To make hydrolox from tier 3
Ike	Aluminium	3	To make parts (command pods, solar panels) from tier 3 To make solid fuel for boosters from tier 3
Eve	Amonium	3	To make parts (solar panels) from tier 3 To make solid fuel from tier 3
	Hydrogen	3	To make monoprop from tier 3 To make hydrolox from tier 3
Gilly	Lithium	3	To make parts (batteries) from tier 3
Dres
Moho
Jool
Tylo	Plutonium	3	To make fission reactors from tier 3
Laythe
Vall	Xenon	3	For xenon engines from tier 3
Bop
Pol
Eeloo	Uranium	3	To make radioisotope generators from tier 4

Resource distribution (WIP)

Mun

• Regolith (Aluminium/Titanium/Iron)
• Water (ice)
• Nickel

Parts and processing

List of parts

Three collections of tanks are planned: for solids, liquids and gases.

We need seperate tanks for more exotic fuels. Both for game balance and because putting antimatter in a regular tank might result in unwanted problems.

ID	Size	Category	Note
isru_tank_inline_1v_regolith	S	Tank	To be renamed _ore
isru_tank_inline_2v_regolith	M	Tank	To be renamed _ore
isru_tank_radial_1v_regolith	S	Tank	To be renamed _ore
isru_drill_1v	M	Drill
isru_convertatron_1v	M	Converter

Processing

Everything requires electric charge.

Input	Output	Device	Type
-	Water	Drill	Mining
-	Regolith	Drill	Mining
-	Nickel	Drill	Mining
Regolith	Iron Aluminium Titanium	Refinery	Ship Processing Colony Processing
Water	Liquid Hydrogen Liquid Oxygen	Electrolizer	Colony Processing

KSP2 Science Flavor Texts

Summary

This table lists all elements mentionned in the KSP2 Surface Survey flavor texts.

	Mun	Minmus	Duna	Ike	Eve	Gilly	Moho	Dres	Laythe	Vall	Tylo	Bop	Pol	Eeloo	Total
Chemical elements
Boron (B)									x (ocean)						1
Calcium (Ca)									x						1
Carbon (C)			x			x	x	x	x		x	x	x	x	9
Iode / Iodine (I)					x (atmo)				x (ocean)						2
Iron (Fe)	x	x		x	x	x	x	x		x		x	x		10
Hydrogen (H)					x	x									2
Lithium (Li)								x							1
Magnesium (Mg)			x			x			x						3
Niobium (Ni)													x		1
Nickel (Ni)	x	x		x	x	x		x		x		x			8
Nitrogen (N)														x	1
Oxygen (O)	x		x			x		x	x	x		x	x	x	9
Potassium (K)			x						x						2
Protactinium 234 (234 Pa)									x						1
Sodium (Na)			x						x						2
Thorium 234 (234 Th)									x				x		2
Uranium 238 (238 U)									x				x		2
Chemical compounds
Ammonia (NH3)						x						x	x
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)								x
Carbon dioxide (CO2)			x			x			x			x	x	x
Carbon monoxide (CO)						x								x
Hydrogen iodide (HI)					x
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)					x
Magnetite (Fe3O4)	x
Methane (CH4)						x
Sodium chloride / Salt (NaCl)			x						x				x
Silicon dioxide / Sand / Silicates (SiO2)			x		x	x	x		x			x	x
Silicon (SiO)		x							x			x
Sulfur (S8)					x		x
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)													x
Water (H2O)			x						x	x		x	x	x
Minerals
Amphibole						x
Basalt / Volcanic rock	x		x	x	x		x						x	x
Carbonaceous chondrites/mudstone/rock/shale											x	x	x	x
Feldspar	x						x
Ferrous ore	x	x		x	x	x	x	x		x		x	x
Granite					x	x								x
Ilmenite	x
Niobium ore													x
Olivine	x					x	x
Pyroxene	x					x	x						x
Quartz		x					x
Sandstone									x
Serpentine						x
Others
Organic chemicals									x				x	x

Resource distribution (by The Space Peacock)

Mun

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunArches,Text,,There is nothing abnormal to report about the samples collected.

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunBiggestCrater,Text,,Samples of the rays seem to be similar to those of the Munar highlands.

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunCraters,Text,,There are a lot of interesting looking rocks to choose from.

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunGiantRock,Text,,Samples are basalt with some small iron stones mixed in.

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunHighlands,Text,,"These samples are some form of intrusive igneous rock comprised of mostly feldspar with traces of pyroxene, ilmenite, magnetite, and olivine. Fascinating."

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunMare,Text,,"There are only a few rocks available, so we had to chip some from the surface."

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunMareEyes,Text,,"There are only a few rocks available, so we had to chip some from the surface."

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunMonument,Text,,"We have not been able to obtain a sample from this arch. Whatever it is made of, we can't break it off into our tubes."

Science/Experiments/SurfaceSurvey/Data/Flavor/Mun_Landed_MunMunOrBust,Text,,"We have found little scraps of stuff on the ground, but there is nothing that would indicate who is or what befell the pilot."