In 2025, TerraBuilder released its Kennedy Space Center for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which allowed you to visit the iconic area through 3 space exploration eras, with era-appropriate rockets on launch pads or moving on top of crawler transporter.
To begin, the new version will allow you to launch rockets on demand and in real time. You click on the ‘launch’ button in the in-sim panel and watch as the 20-second countdown starts. Once that reaches zero, you will be able to see your rocket take off, whilst engulfing the area in realistic, dynamic plume visual effects. The rocket itself will roll and pitch based on the correct orbital azimuth and will start accelerating towards orbit. You can watch these launches from the ground or while in flight. You can watch some of the videos below as an example of what you can both see and hear.
Further updates will include support for a vehicle convoy that follows the rocket, dynamic crew characters, and properly animated crawler treads. There is also an improvement to the usability, meaning you a rocket will spawn depending on where your aircraft is.
All of the previews and video work is still a work-in-progress. When v2 of the Kennedy Space Center releases, it will be a free update for users. You can get the current build exclusively in the in-sim Marketplace, and soon in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 marketplace.
Upcoming New Features
- Dynamic support vehicle convoy that follows the rocket on top of crawler towards the launch pad
- Dynamic support crew characters walking along the crawler
- Properly animated crawler treads (finally, no more dragging across the gravel)
- Fix for the VAB flag emblem, correctly oriented.
- Improvements in usability – now, a rocket will spawn depending on where your aircraft is (no more repetitive button pushing to get it to spawn where you want it)
- On-demand, real time, (any time of day or any weather) dynamic rocket launches! Just click on a “LAUNCH” button in the in-game panel, and a 20 second countdown starts! The rocket launches at T -0:00, rolls and pitches as per the correct orbital azimuth, and starts accelerating and guiding towards the orbit, all the while engulfed in realistic dynamic plume VFX. You can watch these launches while your aircraft is on the ground, or while in flight, brazenly violating restricted airspace!
