Help with early-game science.

[nosh]

Can you guys suggest some good places to go to get lots of science that don't require heavy rocketry?

[Ξ Sikon]

Every building at ksc is techically its own biome. Build a capsule in the airplane workshop, put science on it, then fake launch it on the runway. Run the science from the runway, then recover the vehicle.

If you can build a mini rover you can travel all over KSC like that gathering some science.

[Jupiter3927]

Roll around KSC with science bits and you should gather enough to buy something cool.

[Kyle]

The Kerbals are odd creatures. Did you know that every building at the space center counts as a biome? Most of them have one for the area itself, and then a different biome for actually touching the buildings. Sometimes multiple biomes if there are multiple buildings.

https://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Biome#Kerbin

Click on the expand section in green and look under "KSC" for the whole list. That's usually enough for all my games to get the rocketry needed for Minmus, and the Mun, which give enough to get to other planets.

[GunsForBucks]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2054819309

Have a scientist so they can reset the goo and material study and have a small white box to store all the data.

Also many of the readings other than temp, pressure and crew reports will need more than one trip to get all the data. A second run won't get as much but it can help. To see if you have any data left to collect there you can check the archive tab in the R&D building.

Since the shore is between the launchpad and runway it is easy to grab those and run out to the grasslands for a grand tour of the whole area. Tried to take a rover into the water but couldn't get far out enough for it to count as water.

[Jupiter3927]

Wheels cost a lot of science points though...

[miklkit]

Ya that's a pretty advanced KSC rover. When I first started someone posted something like this as a starter rover. Don't go over 10 m/s tho.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1998331355

[GunsForBucks]

Oh sure this is an early rover
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2052889241

I was just trying to illustrate how much science is around the KSC

[XLjedi]

Science Scooter FTW! ...who doesn't have one?

[Manwith Noname]

Originally posted by NCGames:

Can you guys suggest some good places to go to get lots of science that don't require heavy rocketry?

Space, Mun, Minmus...

[Jupiter3927]

Minmus is especially good for science.
It costs about the same dV to land on as the Mun so bringing extra fuel lets you land somewhere then hop to different biomes for even more science.
Minmus science is the most valuable science in the Kerbin system.

You should have no problem reaching Minmus when you get your buildings upgraded to level 2 and get the Terrier engine unlocked.

Also, when starting up a new game, you can give yourself some science points to spend on lower tier nodes.
This doesn't affect anything long term but it can speed up early game progression enough that you can reach orbit on launch #1.
You can adjust starting funds and reputation too...

[Eeyore [en]]

Early game, apart from the early contracts, you can do science projects on the runway and launchpad and in low flight in the early missions, landed somewhere after those missions. Next, a small rover with science parts (ideally with level 1+ scientist for slight bonus) all around the KSC will get you a lot of science early on. Once you upgrade the astronaut complex you can do EVA and surface samples all around the KSC as well, on landings, etc. Next, a small plane can take you to further regions.

Materials and goo studies take multiple visits to collect all of so be prepared to repeat these a lot. A scientist can collect the sample and restore for a second use during the same mission (useful with the KSC rover).

I recommend the "[x] Science" mod as it helps knowing where you still have science to collect and can save a lot of time.