Vessel

class Vessel

These objects are used to interact with vessels in KSP. This includes getting orbital and flight data, manipulating control inputs and managing resources. Created using active_vessel() or vessels().

std::string name()

void set_name(std::string value)

The name of the vessel.

VesselType type()

void set_type(VesselType value)

The type of the vessel.

VesselSituation situation()

The situation the vessel is in.

bool recoverable()

Whether the vessel is recoverable.

void recover()

Recover the vessel.

double met()

The mission elapsed time in seconds.

std::string biome()

The name of the biome the vessel is currently in.

Flight flight(ReferenceFrame reference_frame = ReferenceFrame())

Returns a Flight object that can be used to get flight telemetry for the vessel, in the specified reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – Reference frame. Defaults to the vessel’s surface reference frame (Vessel::surface_reference_frame()).

Game Scenes:

Flight

Note

When this is called with no arguments, the vessel’s surface reference frame is used. This reference frame moves with the vessel, therefore velocities and speeds returned by the flight object will be zero. See the reference frames tutorial for examples of getting the orbital and surface speeds of a vessel.

Orbit orbit()

The current orbit of the vessel.

Control control()

Returns a Control object that can be used to manipulate the vessel’s control inputs. For example, its pitch/yaw/roll controls, RCS and thrust.

Game Scenes:

Flight

Comms comms()

Returns a Comms object that can be used to interact with CommNet for this vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

AutoPilot auto_pilot()

An AutoPilot object, that can be used to perform simple auto-piloting of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

int32_t crew_capacity()

The number of crew that can occupy the vessel.

int32_t crew_count()

The number of crew that are occupying the vessel.

std::vector<CrewMember> crew()

The crew in the vessel.

Resources resources()

A Resources object, that can used to get information about resources stored in the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

Resources resources_in_decouple_stage(int32_t stage, bool cumulative = true)

Returns a Resources object, that can used to get information about resources stored in a given stage.

Parameters:

• stage – Get resources for parts that are decoupled in this stage.

• cumulative – When false, returns the resources for parts decoupled in just the given stage. When true returns the resources decoupled in the given stage and all subsequent stages combined.

Game Scenes:

Flight

Note

For details on stage numbering, see the discussion on Staging.

Parts parts()

A Parts object, that can used to interact with the parts that make up this vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float mass()

The total mass of the vessel, including resources, in kg.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float dry_mass()

The total mass of the vessel, excluding resources, in kg.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float thrust()

The total thrust currently being produced by the vessel’s engines, in Newtons. This is computed by summing Engine::thrust() for every engine in the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float available_thrust()

Gets the total available thrust that can be produced by the vessel’s active engines, in Newtons. This is computed by summing Engine::available_thrust() for every active engine in the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float available_thrust_at(double pressure)

Gets the total available thrust that can be produced by the vessel’s active engines, in Newtons. This is computed by summing Engine::available_thrust_at() for every active engine in the vessel. Takes the given pressure into account.

Parameters:

• pressure – Atmospheric pressure in atmospheres

Game Scenes:

Flight

float max_thrust()

The total maximum thrust that can be produced by the vessel’s active engines, in Newtons. This is computed by summing Engine::max_thrust() for every active engine.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float max_thrust_at(double pressure)

The total maximum thrust that can be produced by the vessel’s active engines, in Newtons. This is computed by summing Engine::max_thrust_at() for every active engine. Takes the given pressure into account.

Parameters:

• pressure – Atmospheric pressure in atmospheres

Game Scenes:

Flight

float max_vacuum_thrust()

The total maximum thrust that can be produced by the vessel’s active engines when the vessel is in a vacuum, in Newtons. This is computed by summing Engine::max_vacuum_thrust() for every active engine.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float specific_impulse()

The combined specific impulse of all active engines, in seconds. This is computed using the formula described here.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float specific_impulse_at(double pressure)

The combined specific impulse of all active engines, in seconds. This is computed using the formula described here. Takes the given pressure into account.

Parameters:

• pressure – Atmospheric pressure in atmospheres

Game Scenes:

Flight

float vacuum_specific_impulse()

The combined vacuum specific impulse of all active engines, in seconds. This is computed using the formula described here.

Game Scenes:

Flight

float kerbin_sea_level_specific_impulse()

The combined specific impulse of all active engines at sea level on Kerbin, in seconds. This is computed using the formula described here.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<double, double, double> moment_of_inertia()

The moment of inertia of the vessel around its center of mass in \(kg.m^2\). The inertia values in the returned 3-tuple are around the pitch, roll and yaw directions respectively. This corresponds to the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame).

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::vector<double> inertia_tensor()

The inertia tensor of the vessel around its center of mass, in the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). Returns the 3x3 matrix as a list of elements, in row-major order.

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_torque()

The maximum torque that the vessel generates. Includes contributions from reaction wheels, RCS, gimballed engines and aerodynamic control surfaces. Returns the torques in \(N.m\) around each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the pitch, roll and yaw axes of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_reaction_wheel_torque()

The maximum torque that the currently active and powered reaction wheels can generate. Returns the torques in \(N.m\) around each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the pitch, roll and yaw axes of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_rcs_torque()

The maximum torque that the currently active RCS thrusters can generate. Returns the torques in \(N.m\) around each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the pitch, roll and yaw axes of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_rcs_force()

The maximum force that the currently active RCS thrusters can generate. Returns the forces in \(N\) along each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the right, forward and bottom directions of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_engine_torque()

The maximum torque that the currently active and gimballed engines can generate. Returns the torques in \(N.m\) around each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the pitch, roll and yaw axes of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_control_surface_torque()

The maximum torque that the aerodynamic control surfaces can generate. Returns the torques in \(N.m\) around each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the pitch, roll and yaw axes of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> available_other_torque()

The maximum torque that parts (excluding reaction wheels, gimballed engines, RCS and control surfaces) can generate. Returns the torques in \(N.m\) around each of the coordinate axes of the vessels reference frame (ReferenceFrame). These axes are equivalent to the pitch, roll and yaw axes of the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

ReferenceFrame reference_frame()

The reference frame that is fixed relative to the vessel, and orientated with the vessel.

• The origin is at the center of mass of the vessel.

• The axes rotate with the vessel.

• The x-axis points out to the right of the vessel.

• The y-axis points in the forward direction of the vessel.

• The z-axis points out of the bottom off the vessel.

Game Scenes:

Flight

Vessel reference frame origin and axes for the Aeris 3A aircraft

Vessel reference frame origin and axes for the Kerbal-X rocket

ReferenceFrame orbital_reference_frame()

The reference frame that is fixed relative to the vessel, and orientated with the vessels orbital prograde/normal/radial directions.

• The origin is at the center of mass of the vessel.

• The axes rotate with the orbital prograde/normal/radial directions.

• The x-axis points in the orbital anti-radial direction.

• The y-axis points in the orbital prograde direction.

• The z-axis points in the orbital normal direction.

Game Scenes:

Flight

Note

Be careful not to confuse this with ‘orbit’ mode on the navball.

Vessel orbital reference frame origin and axes

ReferenceFrame surface_reference_frame()

The reference frame that is fixed relative to the vessel, and orientated with the surface of the body being orbited.

• The origin is at the center of mass of the vessel.

• The axes rotate with the north and up directions on the surface of the body.

• The x-axis points in the zenith direction (upwards, normal to the body being orbited, from the center of the body towards the center of mass of the vessel).

• The y-axis points northwards towards the astronomical horizon (north, and tangential to the surface of the body – the direction in which a compass would point when on the surface).

• The z-axis points eastwards towards the astronomical horizon (east, and tangential to the surface of the body – east on a compass when on the surface).

Game Scenes:

Flight

Note

Be careful not to confuse this with ‘surface’ mode on the navball.

Vessel surface reference frame origin and axes

ReferenceFrame surface_velocity_reference_frame()

The reference frame that is fixed relative to the vessel, and orientated with the velocity vector of the vessel relative to the surface of the body being orbited.

• The origin is at the center of mass of the vessel.

• The axes rotate with the vessel’s velocity vector.

• The y-axis points in the direction of the vessel’s velocity vector, relative to the surface of the body being orbited.

• The z-axis is in the plane of the astronomical horizon.

• The x-axis is orthogonal to the other two axes.

Game Scenes:

Flight

Vessel surface velocity reference frame origin and axes

std::tuple<double, double, double> position(ReferenceFrame reference_frame)

The position of the center of mass of the vessel, in the given reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – The reference frame that the returned position vector is in.

Returns:

The position as a vector.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<std::tuple<double, double, double>, std::tuple<double, double, double>> bounding_box(ReferenceFrame reference_frame)

The axis-aligned bounding box of the vessel in the given reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – The reference frame that the returned position vectors are in.

Returns:

The positions of the minimum and maximum vertices of the box, as position vectors.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<double, double, double> velocity(ReferenceFrame reference_frame)

The velocity of the center of mass of the vessel, in the given reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – The reference frame that the returned velocity vector is in.

Returns:

The velocity as a vector. The vector points in the direction of travel, and its magnitude is the speed of the body in meters per second.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<double, double, double, double> rotation(ReferenceFrame reference_frame)

The rotation of the vessel, in the given reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – The reference frame that the returned rotation is in.

Returns:

The rotation as a quaternion of the form \((x, y, z, w)\).

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<double, double, double> direction(ReferenceFrame reference_frame)

The direction in which the vessel is pointing, in the given reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – The reference frame that the returned direction is in.

Returns:

The direction as a unit vector.

Game Scenes:

Flight

std::tuple<double, double, double> angular_velocity(ReferenceFrame reference_frame)

The angular velocity of the vessel, in the given reference frame.

Parameters:

• reference_frame – The reference frame the returned angular velocity is in.

Returns:

The angular velocity as a vector. The magnitude of the vector is the rotational speed of the vessel, in radians per second. The direction of the vector indicates the axis of rotation, using the right-hand rule.

Game Scenes:

Flight

enum struct VesselType

The type of a vessel. See Vessel::type().

enumerator base

Base.

enumerator debris

Debris.

enumerator lander

Lander.

enumerator plane

Plane.

enumerator probe

Probe.

enumerator relay

Relay.

enumerator rover

Rover.

enumerator ship

Ship.

enumerator station

Station.

enumerator space_object

SpaceObject.

enumerator unknown

Unknown.

enumerator eva

EVA.

enumerator flag

Flag.

enumerator deployed_science_controller

DeployedScienceController.

enumerator deployed_science_part

DeploedSciencePart.

enumerator dropped_part

DroppedPart.

enumerator deployed_ground_part

DeployedGroundPart.

enum struct VesselSituation

The situation a vessel is in. See Vessel::situation().

enumerator docked

Vessel is docked to another.

enumerator escaping

Escaping.

enumerator flying

Vessel is flying through an atmosphere.

enumerator landed

Vessel is landed on the surface of a body.

enumerator orbiting

Vessel is orbiting a body.

enumerator pre_launch

Vessel is awaiting launch.

enumerator splashed

Vessel has splashed down in an ocean.

enumerator sub_orbital

Vessel is on a sub-orbital trajectory.

class CrewMember

Represents crew in a vessel. Can be obtained using Vessel::crew().

std::string name()

void set_name(std::string value)

The crew members name.

CrewMemberType type()

The type of crew member.

bool on_mission()

Whether the crew member is on a mission.

float courage()

void set_courage(float value)

The crew members courage.

float stupidity()

void set_stupidity(float value)

The crew members stupidity.

float experience()

void set_experience(float value)

The crew members experience.

bool badass()

void set_badass(bool value)

Whether the crew member is a badass.

bool veteran()

void set_veteran(bool value)

Whether the crew member is a veteran.

std::string trait()

The crew member’s job.

CrewMemberGender gender()

The crew member’s gender.

RosterStatus roster_status()

The crew member’s current roster status.

SuitType suit_type()

void set_suit_type(SuitType value)

The crew member’s suit type.

std::vector<int32_t> career_log_flights()

The flight IDs for each entry in the career flight log.

std::vector<std::string> career_log_types()

The type for each entry in the career flight log.

std::vector<std::string> career_log_targets()

The body name for each entry in the career flight log.

enum struct CrewMemberType

The type of a crew member. See CrewMember::type().

enumerator applicant

An applicant for crew.

enumerator crew

Rocket crew.

enumerator tourist

A tourist.

enumerator unowned

An unowned crew member.

enum struct CrewMemberGender

A crew member’s gender. See CrewMember::gender().

enumerator male

Male.

enumerator female

Female.

enum struct RosterStatus

A crew member’s roster status. See CrewMember::roster_status().

enumerator available

Available.

enumerator assigned

Assigned.

enumerator dead

Dead.

enumerator missing

Missing.

enum struct SuitType

A crew member’s suit type. See CrewMember::suit_type().

enumerator default__

Default.

enumerator vintage

Vintage.

enumerator future

Future.

enumerator slim

Slim.