Science: Transmit, Return or Process?

[Telesto]

I have science stations orbiting Kerbin, Mun & Minmus.
I want to send a probe out to a different planet and I don't know what science kit to take.
Can I transmit science and get no penalty for Processing the same data in a furure lab with the same data?

[maj.solo]

Oh this one is easy.

If your tech tree is not complete yet you always transmit every report to ground immediately. This is to desperately make progress in tech tree so you can build better ships.

Then you make the same experiment again and store in a science container and ship it
to Kerbin. This is to get all what is left to get out of that experiment from that biome.

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* Science labs .... well I don't STUDY to become a pro at playing this game. But what one can say about labs is_

* they work very slowly. Doing science and transmitting or recovering on kerbin will finnish the
tech tree wahaaaay faster then waiting for a science lab.

* but somehow they seem to squeeze more science out of each report ( I might be fantasizing
)

* each lab can process each report from each instrument from each biome ONCE.
If you have the MPL on a docking port you can throw it away and attach a new lab and start all over.
But it will take months before they give any result. You better build some cheap ultrafast tiny rockets real cheap ones and a rover and then do science on Kerbin ... You will be done with the tech tree long before the MPLs give any results.

If you just dont give up but keep slaving away gathering science on Kerbin and minmus and mun .... you will have completed the tech tree long before any of your ships reach Duna or some other place.

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Ok I see. Well.

Thermometer
Barometer
Gravioli Detector
Mystery goo
Materials bay

Seems to work everywhere

in space high low above body X
flying just above biome Y
when landed at biome Y

when landed you can also use seismic meter.
You crew can do crew reports
take surface samples

But you will figure this out while playing. That is the whole point of this game. Play a little. Use google when stuck. Play some more. etc.

[maculator]

Recover it. It's worth it. A few minmus missions will unlock everything in the techtree. I never ever use science labs. they yield alot of science but take ages to process the data and I don't feel like warping years just to get this data. Focus on returning your experimetns and head for minmus and you'll be drowning in science.

[Operation40]

Originally posted by Shadow224466:

Can I transmit science and get no penalty for Processing the same data in a furure lab with the same data?

I don't know if there's *no* penality, but you do get data for the MPL from experiments that have already been transmitted.. there's gobs of data available so I wouldn't worry about any penality. also you can take another MPL to the same experimenets and research them yet again..
MPL is so OP

as far as what to put on a probe (without an MPL) -- as a rule I always xmit the repeatable experiments.. i leave off the goo and materials bay unless the probe is meant to be recovered back at kerbin

[maj.solo]

Originally posted by Operation40:

Originally posted by Shadow224466:

Can I transmit science and get no penalty for Processing the same data in a furure lab with the same data?

I don't know if there's *no* penality, but you do get data for the MPL from experiments that have already been transmitted.. there's gobs of data available so I wouldn't worry about any penality. also you can take another MPL to the same experimenets and research them yet again..
MPL is so OP

as far as what to put on a probe (without an MPL) -- as a rule I always xmit the repeatable experiments.. i leave off the goo and materials bay unless the probe is meant to be recovered back at kerbin

Yes that is what I mean.
1) stransmit fast as hell
2) redo experiment pack in container and ship to kerbin
3) make the experiment over and over and over and over again for each MPL you send up into space. They all can take one of each report from each instrument from each biome forever.

When you try feed the labs a report they alreadfy digested the green button will be greyed out. But do not cry. Remove the MPL bring in a new MPL and move the scientist over .... and then you can start over again over and over and over again.

You just need to throw each lab away or move it to Duna and continue there, and then send up new labs from Kerbin and move them to Minmus and start over.

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I have the science labs in packs of 8.

And it is therefore , when the science tree is completed, I go to administration building andturn on policy turn science into money. And it is therefore I have this army of scientists and all their labs.

They do all science from each biome for each lab. Turns into money, bring more labs from Kerbin and make more money.

It is a game. I play a lot of tychoon games. And I have turned KSP into a space tychoon game.


But when you are grinding the tech tree forget interplanetary missions or MPL labs ...

just use the thermometer and the other devices and be done with the tech tree in like one kerbin week.

There is a mod "Auto Science" that will speed things up.

[maculator]

I just use "science - full reward!" - gives you the full grenn bar if you recover the experiment, no need to travel to the poles 10 times.

[maj.solo]

not to complete the tech tree.

But I thought I needed to explain how the MPLs ACTUALLY work and what they can be used for.

MPLs is for late game when the science tree is completed.

[Bubba Fett]

My policy is to transmit first, then redo the experiment and return the results. This will net you more science points than just returning the first experiment.
Of course this means that all missions have a scientist on them to reset the experiments on site for reuse.
This means that every lander has a probe core to provide SAS functions. The probe core also gives you another place to store data from your experiments allowing you to take one copy for return and another copy to process in the lab. (if you're willing to run the experiment a 3rd time)

I usually have no trouble coming up with enough surplus data to fill a lab, but you don't get science very fast at the mun or minmus, so the main use of the lab is to level up crew on site.
Even so, it's free science for very little effort so it's worthwhile to keep a lab crewed and researching.
Once you start doing interplanetary missions, labs are much more useful. You have a lot of transit time for them to be operating and it will generate more science in a solar orbit than you get back home. And more science still when you get where you're going. The ability to level up crew at other planets is handy as well.

[Cato]

I actaully think that MPLs are awesome - but only if you put them on the ground of the body not in orbit - for instance my Mun ground base generates 10 science a day - my Orbital one generates 2 science a day - and if it chews though its data? no problem just wheel (or fly) it to a new biome!

You do need alot of power to do it ground based bases as some of the time you will not be facing the sun - But the advantage of ground based ones are that you can mine ore there as well - and save ALOT of money.

[Telesto]

Brilliant replies. TY all.

[UltraEmailMan]

Not sure if one of the mods I have is causing this, but a surface sample from the Mun turns into 120 science when I recover the ship. If I use the base game's mobile science lab, I can turn it into 600 science in like 22 days.