Yes indeed, Kerbal Space Program was the reference. It's a fantastic game - at its heart it's a sand-boxy space simulator which allows you to design, build and launch your own vehicles in a scaled-down, fictional solar system. It's much more sim-light than something like Orbiter, but that's part of its charm as well.
It's a bit older, but City at World's end by Edmond Hamilton may fit the bill. It's got the same thematic gravity of a dying planet.
https://librivox.org/the-city-at-worlds-end-by-edmond-hamilton/