No science with probes?

[Plaka]

Can't you get science with probes? Like, can't I report on the materials or mystery goo with a probe, or do I need a manned module and a Kerbal inside for science to be able to get gathered.

I think I had this when i sent a probe to the moon. I had a thermometer on it and I couldn't log the temperature. So, there has to be a Kerbal on the vessel?

[Rene]

No, science works just as well with manned or unmanned ships. The problem here is that the thermometer doesn't work everywhere. If my memory is correct, it works in low orbits (and everything below), but not in high orbits.

[Ordovician]

What Rene said. This is true for most of the old science parts. Aside from the fact you obviously can't get crew reports, EVA reports and surface samples (which you really should be able to) with probes, they work the same as manned.

[Wildcardz]

i sent a probe to minmus yesterday for the first time in career mode, but the % of sience it transmits back to kerbal is really low. 20%!! i got 100 science for doing science wit'h the mistery goo. So i just get 20 points in stead to the 100. that is the trade-off. i get that, but 20% for an moon is really low. I mean, if it was an planet, i totally get is, but it seems a bit harsh.. can you boost your signal?

[Proteus]

Nope you cannot ... but you can do multiple transmissions (as long as you have enough power)
(with other words, doing the same experiment/measurement + transmission multiple times)

[Wildcardz]

yes, but your science result gets lower every time. So isnt it woth sending kerbals there to bring the reports back so you get the full science. don't you earn more science that way?

[Proteus]

Originally posted by DraZtic:

yes, but your science result gets lower every time. So isnt it woth sending kerbals there to bring the reports back so you get the full science. don't you earn more science that way?

It doesn´t matter (at least for version 0.22) ... the total science you can gain from a Biome is the same no matter whether you get it from return missions or from repeated transmissions.
Unless you implement your own house rules (for example ... only x numbers of transmissions allowed) it is always more efficient to deplete the science pool of a Biome with transmissions than with return missions.

Will most probably change in the next version (0.23) however, where some changes are implemented, among them some incentive to bring samples/logs back home

[Kadoodle]

Originally posted by Ordovician:

What Rene said. This is true for most of the old science parts. Aside from the fact you obviously can't get crew reports, EVA reports and surface samples (which you really should be able to) with probes, they work the same as manned.

Well the probe doesn't have arms and therefore can't collect samples.
It would be nice if they added arms or something for the probe to collect samples.

[Ordovician]

Originally posted by mrkadoodle:

Originally posted by Ordovician:

What Rene said. This is true for most of the old science parts. Aside from the fact you obviously can't get crew reports, EVA reports and surface samples (which you really should be able to) with probes, they work the same as manned.

Well the probe doesn't have arms and therefore can't collect samples.
It would be nice if they added arms or something for the probe to collect samples.

That was exactly my point. It's something I'd really love to see.

[Plaka]

Thank you to everyone to posted, it really cleared things up for me.

[Oteph]

Originally posted by Ordovician:

Originally posted by mrkadoodle:

Well the probe doesn't have arms and therefore can't collect samples.
It would be nice if they added arms or something for the probe to collect samples.

That was exactly my point. It's something I'd really love to see.

An EVA Reports, can only ever be made by a Kerbal, as Extra Vehicular Activity can hardly be done by a Vehicle, right?

[Langkard]

If you really want to know precisely where and when you can collect science for each instrument, EVA, crew report and soil sample, the KSP wiki has a page which shows what can be done in the biomes (15 on the Mun, 12 on Kerbin and one each on everything else), and even a rather complicated formula for figuring out how much science you'll get for each plus the diminishing points from additional missions/transmissions.

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Science

[Wildcardz]

Originally posted by Proteus:

Originally posted by DraZtic:

yes, but your science result gets lower every time. So isnt it woth sending kerbals there to bring the reports back so you get the full science. don't you earn more science that way?

It doesn´t matter (at least for version 0.22) ... the total science you can gain from a Biome is the same no matter whether you get it from return missions or from repeated transmissions.
Unless you implement your own house rules (for example ... only x numbers of transmissions allowed) it is always more efficient to deplete the science pool of a Biome with transmissions than with return missions.

Will most probably change in the next version (0.23) however, where some changes are implemented, among them some incentive to bring samples/logs back home

Aha, i see.

thnx for the clear explanation ;)

[Lawh]

So... How do I send back science? I'm in space now, but can't send anything back. How do I get a report? I've tried right clicking etc, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I can transmit data, but nothing happens, and I don't know what data I'd be transmitting.

[imshandon]

Also keep in mind that some experiments will quit working if you transmit it's data.

[Quivico]

Originally posted by Lawrence:

So... How do I send back science? I'm in space now, but can't send anything back. How do I get a report? I've tried right clicking etc, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I can transmit data, but nothing happens, and I don't know what data I'd be transmitting.

Do some science and put an antenna on your craft.