Are satellites useful in career mode?

[Booker, Catch!]

I don't think I'm understanding the use of antennas, it seems like you get way more science if you land/recover the craft vs transmitting through antennas. Can you transmit the same data multiple times to make up for the difference?

[NiceGuy]

As for science this is right. But when you get further away from Kerbine you need communication satellites to be able to control probes when there is no Kerbal on board. This also is needed if you are on the dark side of a planet, when the planet blocks the direct communication with your space center.

[GunsForBucks]

Science will only transmit so much. You have to recover the rest to get it all.
To track how much is remaining you can check the upper left <?>"Archive" tab in R&D.

Nothing is lost though. Each reading will only have so much. Transmitting is good if you don't plan to return and just are sending out "probes" for data.

Antenna is also needed for AI control so even with top tier stuff a signal to kerbin may be weak on the outer edges of the solar system.
The need for relays can be reduced by bumping up the ranges in game settings.

Each upgrade to the Tracking Station building expands range.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2758164301

[andylaugel]

In addition to building relay networks for communication, I often put survey satellites in orbit so I can tell where to best land for mining ore. The key part there is the M700 Survey Scanner, which requires being in a polar orbit in a certain altitude range to function.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2488439186

[Jupiter3927]

Satellites are for the one-way missions.
It's much easier to send stuff to a planet with no plans to return it to Kerbin.
Kerbals are expensive and need to return home sometime...

[WhamyKaBlamy]

As others have said, a good satellite network is really useful later in the game. With the standard settings you need a connection back to the KSC to control probes and it affects the quality of your transmissions back.

A tip that I've found useful is to put 4 decent relays around any planet you're going to need them on as far out as possible, 90 degrees(ish) from each other with the same orbital period. That will make it less likely that they will bunch up with a lot of time warping. For example, my current set of relays around Kerbin are at an Ap/Pe of 75Mm with an orbital period of 101d 4h 30m 0s, and they haven't drifted at all so far.

[GunsForBucks]

Originally posted by Jupiter3927:

Satellites are for the one-way missions.
It's much easier to send stuff to a planet with no plans to return it to Kerbin.
Kerbals are expensive and need to return home sometime...

IDK some of my biggest tech leaps early on are from sats I send out with hardly any comms or electric to just gather data and return.

So I personally find it hard to consider them more for one way use.

[miklkit]

The farther out I go the more I need relay satellites to relay science data. I have 3 in the Jool system.

[Whispdragoon62]

I found they're really useful for uploading science from the Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2 when you are distant from Kerbin.

If you have Satellite Relays you only need like a 2G Direct Antenna on your probes and science stations, thus reducing weight.

I've uploaded thousands of science in a single trip from the Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2. You can convert science to credits once you max it out. Yes its very useful.

https://ibb.co/fF3054m

Dropped that little guy off on Eve for 200k.

I can pop on over to the tracking station and drive around whenever.