The space simulation game Kerbal Space Program is experiencing a remarkable revival as players worldwide get inspired by the historic Artemis II mission, the first crewed journey to the Moon in over five decades.
The Artemis II crew is currently returning to Earth after venturing farther from our planet than any humans before, with their splashdown scheduled for April 10. This mission represents a crucial milestone toward returning humans to the lunar surface and eventually reaching Mars, marking humanity's first trip to the Moon since the Apollo era.
This renewed space exploration excitement appears to have translated into increased interest in Kerbal Space Program. The 11-year-old game, which typically maintains a respectable 3,000-4,000 peak concurrent players on Steam, has seen a dramatic spike. According to SteamDB data, the game reached an unusual peak of 11,390 concurrent players in the last 24 hours following Artemis II's launch.
While this doesn't quite reach the game's all-time record of 19,149 players, it's still an impressive surge. The interest extends beyond just playing—Twitch viewership for Kerbal Space Program skyrocketed by 732% in April 2026, jumping from an average of about 96 viewers to 799.
The excitement has spilled over to the game's community spaces as well. On the Kerbal Space Program subreddit, one player shared: "Was watching the live stream of Artemis with my son, he looks at me and says 'Dad, this makes me want to play KSP!'" Another community member expressed hope that this renewed interest "sparks some renewal for another good sim game."
Additional players are joining the conversation, with one stating: "Count myself among [the returning players]. I was reading about the now-cancelled plans for the Lunar Gateway while looking up Artemis and thought, 'I want to do that.' Now I'm in career mode struggling to reliably orbit. Good times."
Steam reviews are also reflecting the Artemis II connection. A player with over 300 hours in the game commented: "Watching the Artemis II launch, I now have a much larger understanding of space travel because of KSP lol. To see all the concepts in the game translate somewhat to real life is amazing."
While Kerbal Space Program doesn't perfectly replicate the Artemis II experience, it does let players build their own space programs. According to IGN's 2015 review, which awarded the game an 'Amazing' 9/10 score, it offers a "deep, funny, and detailed physics sim that never takes itself too seriously."
In a delightful pop culture moment during the mission, NASA's Mission Control responded to Commander Reid Wiseman's description of the Moon during the April 6 lunar flyby by quoting Rocky from Project Hail Mary with "Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!" This occurred during NASA's official broadcast of Artemis II's space voyage, adding another layer of connection between space exploration and popular media.
