“Welcome back to my KSP series. Today, I will actually be going to the Mün...”
―Hitler, enough times for it to have become annoying
Hitler Space Program (originally Hitler plays Kerbal Space Program) is a Downfall parody video series by ASBusinessMagnet. As the name tells, the series revolves around Adolf Hitler and the rest of the Führerbunker playing the game Kerbal Space Program. The series is different from typical videos of the Hitler Plays Video Games sub-meme in that it places the Führerbunker's residents as characters of the game, and assumes they are actually building rockets, even going as far as calling the Kerbal Space Center, the main location of the game, "the Führerbunker" (later renamed to "Reich Space Center").
It is not the only Hitler parody involving Kerbal Space Program. However, other series are short-lived, and either do not feature KSP gameplay at all or have been removed.
This episode opens up with parts of the Hitler Planning Scene, with Hitler planning to play KSP. However, Alfred Jodl objects, claiming that the game has a steep learning curve. Hitler counters the objection, claiming that he will conquer the universe in no time, and begins the game, but not before complaining about the loading time. He names the save file "Dolfy Da Fuhrer" and picks the flag of the Third Reich to serve as the flag of the game.
Once the game starts, Otto Günsche insists on examining the Astronaut Complex, where the "players" of the game are listed. The listing is that of many major Downfall characters, as well as Leopold Slikk. However, the name Hitler objects to openly is that of Hermann Fegelein. Hitler insists that Fegelein should not go on any mission, and begins building his first rocket.
His first rocket involves a large shaft of liquid fuel constructed from multiple tanks, as well as a parachute. He insists that this rocket should go to "the Moon" and names it "To Das Mun", to which Wilhelm Burgdorf objects, claiming that the rocket doesn't have enough delta-V. Hitler retorts, purporting his "awesome skills", and launches the rocket anyway.
However, during the launch, the rocket runs out of fuel (a fact that Günsche gladly informs). It thus proceeds to land in the night, and partially collapses upon hitting the ground. Hitler himself, however, survives, and proceeds to both collect the EVA report and surface sample of Kerbin, with insistence from Hans Krebs. Then, he plants a flag, claiming that the mission to the Moon was intended, to which Jodl objects. Hitler then declares that he has had one objection from Jodl too many, and decides to launch Jodl into orbit without a chance for return.
The rocket used to launch Jodl has two stages (as the science points Hitler gained allowed him to unlock decouplers), both running on liquid fuel. It also lacks a parachute, which is a deliberate design detail by Hitler to prevent Jodl's return. Notably, while naming the rocket, Hitler briefly objects about the use of the Russian keyboard.
With Krebs's guidance, Hitler launches Jodl into orbit, and the episode ends with Jodl purporting that Hitler needs his objections, and that he will return. At this point, Hitler is also first informed that the planet he is launching from is called Kerbin, a name which he thinks is ridiculous.
#2: Hitler goes on EVA![]
Hitler starts the episode by first calling the satellite he is planning to go to "the Mün", rather than "the Moon". He then checks if Jodl is still in orbit, which he is. He then plans to do the same to Fegelein, using the exact same rocket design. However, Fegelein shuts down both stages prematurely. Hitler then thinks that Fegelein will die due to the lack of parachute, but Fegelein lands on his head and survives, due to a common glitch of KSP. Fegelein then collects additional science for the game, and Hitler proceeds to unlock radial decouplers, with insistence from Albert Speer.
Hitler then goes on to design the second version of his Mün rocket, which uses solid fuel. However, he misaims and ends up on a highly elliptical orbit, which isn't depicted, but is rather conveyed via a title card. Krebs then insists that science points can also be collected from deep space, and Hitler goes on EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity; Eva Braun is not referred to). However, as this is Hitler's first time on EVA, he has trouble getting back in, until Fegelein proclaims to stop sucking.
#3: Redesigns keep happening[]
After the previous flight, Hitler lands on Kerbin and collects more science. He is then called by Jodl, who has overheard Fegelein's survival, and decided to attempt landing on his head as well, due to the power of baldness. Fegelein then appears, leading Hitler to cut both off.
Once Hitler returns to the Kerbal Space Center, he once again has trouble in picking science nodes to unlock. Günsche suggests unlocking cheaper nodes, and Hitler agrees.
Hitler then proceeds to design the third version of his Mün rocket. This rocket, however, avoids using solid fuel, and therefore is considerably underpowered, only launching on the third attempt (as Hitler activates more and more launching stages) and barely managing to get into orbit. While Hitler is attempting to plan his route to the Mün, Fegelein commits an antic on him, landing the rocket back at Kerbin, on the ocean next to the KSC (which Hitler calls "the Führerbunker"). Krebs then suggests collecting science from water, which Hitler complies with, but not before telling Krebs to fuck off. After collecting science, Hitler returns, and the episode ends.
#4: Fegelein's motives[]
Hitler begins the episode by proclaiming that he will go to the Mün (again), and Krebs loudly objects. Hitler, however, ignores him and decides to unlock science nodes, only to discover that he is missing two science points. Fegelein insists that he can get the points easily, which Hitler objects to, but Jodl and Günsche give approval.
Fegelein's "rocket" is just a command pod. However, this is not required for the mission, as science points can be collected from the launchpad as well. At this point, Hitler is considerably irritated by how many places science can be gotten from, but nevertheless enjoys the points, and uses them to unlock the node containing the EAS-4 Strut Connector, as it is a common adage of KSP that to fix rockets, one needs "more struts".
Hitler then reveals the fourth version of his Mün rocket. He purports that it will go to the Mün for real, and Jodl and Krebs object, claiming that the previous three versions have failed. However, contrary to their claims (which cause much anger at the Führerbunker, especially considering Fegelein's unwilling to lead the space program, and which also involves Helmuth Weidling for the first time), Hitler lands on the Mün. Fegelein is the first to congratulate him, and therefore, Hitler's first words on the Mün are him shouting "FEGELEIN!" repeatedly.
Hitler then takes his time to admire the Mün, claiming that this is just the first part of his grander plan. However, the velocity at which he returns knocks his rocket down, and while trying to turn it upright, Hitler runs out of electricity. He thus considers that he has been trapped on the Mün without a possibility for communication, and the episode ends.
#5: Leopold to the Rescue[]
After the last episode, Fegelein organizes a conference outside the KSC, with the attendants being Günsche, Jodl and Leopold (marking his only actual appearance in the series, despite being on every title card so far). While Günsche and Jodl seem complacent with Fegelein, Leopold first objects to Fegelein's conference table and then decides to rescue Hitler. However, "Leopold Slikk's Resqeu Wehishpi" is very poorly designed, substituting the parachute on top for another rocket engine. Thus, Fegelein is forced to take over as pilot and do a powered landing.
However, there has been considerable unrest concerning Hitler's status, and Fegelein sets off to rescue him. Rather than use his own design, however, Fegelein repurposes a design from ASBusinessMagnet's KSP blog, currently named watch-mark-kerman-die (formerly garrysmodinspace). This rocket, dubbed "Space Explorer 5", reaches Hitler. He then enters the rocket, but is considerably irritated that his rescuer is Fegelein (and that the two have been forced to spend an entire day in space while returning).
Once Hitler and Fegelein return, Fegelein collects more science from the surface of Kerbin, before returning the rocked, containing both, back to the KSC. The episode then ends.
Intermission: KSP 0.7.3![]
This episode does not follow the plot of the series so far. Instead, it opens up by Hitler noticing that the version of KSP is now 0.7.3 (the first publicly available version, also available as a free download), rather than 0.23.5 (the current version as of this video). Burgdorf comments that KSP 0.7.3 is the only version that the bunker can afford to broadcast. Hitler blames Fegelein for it, despite the latter's insistence that he had nothing to do with it, then starts the game.
Right off the bat, he notices many differences between KSP 0.7.3 and 0.23.5. He does not recognize Kerbal Space Center (as the Vehicle Assembly Building and the launchpad are the only two buildings, and even they have a different design from their 0.23.5 counterparts), has trouble building his spaceship (there was no symmetry mode or ability to temporarily place away parts of your rocket), comments on the name of Jebediah Kerman and the new design of water, and is finally informed that Kerbin is the only celestial body in the game. This last point makes him shout Fegelein's name repeatedly.
#6: What do you Mean, No Money?[]
This episode opens up with parts of the Hitler Eating Scene. As Hitler receives a document, he briefly comments on how the Downfall cast have actually appeared on Kerbin and are required to adjust. Hitler then looks at the document, which announces the rebranding of the Third Reich, now becoming a company "Third Reich Enterprises" with its own logo, whereas the Führerbunker/Kerbal Space Center is to be renamed "Reich Space Center". Hitler comments on how this change can only be epic, and the episode proper begins.
Hans Krebs proceeds to inform Hitler about the changes in 0.24, most notably the inclusion of money and reputation. However, instead of that, Hitler notices that someone has unlocked a science node, named "Science Tech". Hitler initially blames Fegelein, but it is revealed that it was done by Günsche. Hitler is quick to forgive Günsche, before examining another new feature of 0.24, which is the potential to accept contracts and go on missions fulfilling them.
Fegelein, for reasons he doesn't explain at first, picks a mission to go to the Mün. Hitler then picks a relatively easy mission of testing a part on Kerbin, which wouldn't require a rocket. However, Hitler's design ends up rapidly spinning, making him disoriented. The video then cuts to the tech tree, where Günsche picks another science node to unlock, but Hitler, unable to perceive reality correctly, blames Fegelein again.
Then, Krebs suggests going to Minmus, Kerbin's other satellite. However, Hitler's old design is now too expensive, and cannot be launched. While responding to Jodl's objection concerning this, Hitler falls on the floor, and proceeds to pass out quickly thereafter. Fegelein then slightly modifies the design, making it cheaper, and uses it to go to the Mün to collect science Hitler left behind.
However, Fegelein's rocket does not have enough fuel to go to Mün orbit again. Fegelein thus bails from it, and the episode ends as the rocket crashes into the Mún.
#7: Günsche's Spotlight[]
Günsche opens this episode up by discovering another building never seen in Hitler Space Program before, named the Tracking Station, which displays various vehicles. One of them is Fegelein, who Günsche wants to rescue. Hitler objects, but then Joseph Goebbels and Burgdorf counter-objects, shooting Hitler with his Pistol of Armageddon. He then takes over as Führer with Goebbels as his second-in-command, which Hitler objects to, before being shot again repeatedly.
While this is happening, Günsche accepts a contract pertaining to going to Minmus. He then designs the rocket to rescue Fegelein, and proceeds to complete the rendezvous. Günsche then gives Fegelein an update concerning the Führerbunker, before Fegelein finds out about the Minmus contract, and the two plot a transfer there.
The episode ends with Hitler, resurrected after being killed by Burgdorf, finding out that Günsche and Fegelein are heading towards Minmus, and plotting to go there faster than them.
#8: Minmus Slumber Party[]
While Hitler is planning his Minmus mission, he discusses Burgdorf's takeover. However, while this is happening, Fegelein shoots Burgdorf from Mün vicinity and takes over as the Führer himself. As Goebbels comments how this is a very impressive shot (comparing it to Chell accidentally shooting a portal near an Apollo landing site on the Earth's Moon in Portal 2), Fegelein shoots Hitler and Goebbels. This makes Hitler worried that Fegelein is going to shoot his rocket, but that doesn't happen.
Meanwhile, Fegelein finds videos by Scott Manley, a popular KSP YouTuber whose channel is partly focused on educating new players about the game's mechanics. However, he dismisses the educational value of the videos, considering them "entertainment".
As Hitler successfully lands on Minmus, he comments that he has beat Günsche and Fegelein, as well as the different landscape of Minmus compared to the Mün. Then, he returns and decides to sleep in his rocket until Günsche and Fegelein arrive. However, as they arrive, Fegelein decides to wake Hitler up. They then shout each other's names repeatedly in a manner similar to Hitler Vs videos, and the episode ends.
Hitler Space Program (0.90 Series Reboot)[]
Trailer: Beta than Ever![]
The bulk of this parody is a comment from ASBusinessMagnet about Hitler Space Program in general. It mentions that the flag has been changed due to the ban on swastikas in Lithuania, that savefile editing was involved in the making of Hitler Space Program, and finally, that the series is getting a reboot. Then, a brief trailer for the reboot is shown, with Hitler finding himself on an unfamiliar place. This turns out to be the roof of Vehicle Assembly Building, but considerably downgraded; as of 0.90, leveling up buildings was added, and the reboot starts with Level 1 buildings, whereas the original series started with what are now known as Level 3 buildings. The video then rapidly zooms out and ends.
#1: You will Not Go to Space Today[]
Starting immediately from the last video, Fegelein insists that Hitler wanted to get down, and launches a rocket at the VAB, destroying it (another new feature of KSP, added in 0.25, was the destruction of buildings). As Hitler is mad at Fegelein, the intro plays.
After the intro, the typical view of the beginning of KSP is shown; however, the VAB is still standing, and Fegelein purports that he never destroyed it. Hitler then begins KSP as usual, assuming the rules are the same, but is quickly confronted by the fact that Level 1 Mission Control only allows accepting two contracts at a time. He then, once he builds his rocket, objects to the use of Russian again, and Krebs proceeds to speak in Russian, using a clip from the Krebs meets General Chuikov scene. Günsche and Fegelein are also revealed to at least know some Russian.
Once Hitler launches his first rocket, he decides to go to space. However, Jodl objects and Fegelein claims he can always pull an antic. This makes Hitler disappointed with his minions as a whole, claiming that they're nothing more than a single trait and the result of a parody maker, to which both Burgdorf (associated with drinking) and Krebs (associated with maps) object.
Hitler's second rocket, while similar to his rockets used at this stage in the original series, is too expensive. As Hitler downscales it, however, he makes the rocket asymmetric, which Ernst-Robert Grawitz points out. Despite the fact that Hitler dismissed Grawitz, his concern is valid, and the rocket collapses before properly launching.
Hitler's third rocket also considerably fails at its goal, and Fegelein, bored of Hitler's failures, commits an antic, making the rocket spin. Then, as the rocket lands, Hitler receives intel on there being another KSP series, created by DolfyFegel Antics (now removed), and the episode ends with him shouting "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!".
Special: Meanwhile on Earth[]
Rather than focusing on Downfall characters, this episode follows the main cast of Kerbal Space Program, namely Jebediah Kerman (voiced by a higher-pitched Hitler), Bill Kerman (Goebbels), Bob Kerman (Jodl) and Valentina Kerman (Eva Braun). They comment on how they have found themselves on Earth, counterparting how Hitler and co. found themselves on Kerbin. They also comment on ASBusinessMagnet's inability to produce episodes quickly, the fact that the mod Kerbal Engineer Redux is installed and the fact that there is a cannon placed on the launchpad. The cannon turns out to be a "Fegel-Cannon", which destroys the VAB. Fegelein himself then briefly appears, commenting on the cannon, and Jeb shouts his name, just like Hitler did. The episode ends with a stinger from Bob, "So, no Steven Universe for me?".
End of spoiler
Style[]
The series has a continuous plot, starting from Hitler just getting into the basics of the game and continuing through by getting to the orbit and to celestial objects such as Mün and Minmus (both satellites of Kerbin, the planet which rockets are launched from).
Since Kerbal Space Program has been updated since the inception of the series, going through major gameplay changes, the series has been rebooted once, rather than continuing to go on with the old plot.
In the description for the intermission video, ASBusinessMagnet comments on planning to buy a copy of Kerbal Space Program for AlphaSkyRaider. In reality, ASBusinessMagnet did gift the game to AlphaSkyRaider, alongside Minecraft; however, the description leads to believe that she did not, instead using the money to continue her series.
The intro and outro melody for episode 6 onwards was written by ASBusinessMagnet herself. It is a chiptune adaptation of ABBA's Money Money Money, reflecting the mainly commented addition to update 0.24 of Kerbal Space Program.
The name of the first episode of the reboot series, "You will Not Go to Space Today", is a phrase used by Randall Munroe, the author of xkcd, regarding space travel, first used in his attempt to describe the Saturn V rocket using only the 1000 most common English words, named Up Goer Five. It has become a common meme regarding space travel in general, hence its usage in Hitler Space Program.
In ASBusinessMagnet's series of Inside Out-related videos made after her retirement from Hitler Parodies, Andersen's Mind, these videos receive callbacks.
In The Emotions play Minecraft, the keyboard debacle is reversed, with Russian characters objecting to using Latin letters, called "capitalist letters" by Anger, who, like Hitler, is prone to anger outbursts.
The creator of Hitler Space Program in-universe is Riley Andersen, whose mind is mainly seen in Inside Out. The idea that she got successful on YouTube via Kerbal Space Program videos is what caused her to consider playing the game again, but this time as herself, resulting in The Emotions play Kerbal Space Program.
