[1.0.2] - What to put in early space stations / satellites?

[Kaerwek]

I haven't unlocked that much technology wise yet.

I wonder if there's something that would give me an incentive to revisit a space station or satellite once in a while. I.e. I don't like the idea of just putting them up there and forgetting about them. Like, research stations or something.

Currently my idea is to harvest research by flying up rockets, and returning them to Kerbin.

But then there's those 'put up a satellite missions'... Ok, I get them up there, but what then?

Mods that work with 1.0.2 can also be suggested. I'm not sure which actually add value here and are supported in 1.0.2.

[Old Foxboy]

Put a thermometer on it. Sometimes, you get contracts to "transmit scientific data from space over XY". Having a thermometer and an antenna enables you to do this easily. (Don't forget a small solar panel to recharge the energy!)

[magnemoe]

yes, its an good idea to have extra science equipment on probes around other bodies for the science contracts. You hardly need this around kerbin but around Mun, Minmus and other bodies this can soon be an benefit.

[Starwhip]

Put a thermometer on it. Sometimes, you get contracts to "transmit scientific data from space over XY". Having a thermometer and an antenna enables you to do this easily. (Don't forget a small solar panel to recharge the energy!)

This. If you can, after the contract put the sat in a high elliptical orbit that skims both high and low orbit, or just plain low orbit, and if you get a contract to get science data you can switch to the thing for free money.

[Blu_C]

A docking node and few spare tanks for RCS/Fuel. If you get into orbit and find you have more fuel than you need then you can drop it into these tanks. This allows you to eventually start having longer-duration missions and makes resupplying easier as you have a supply right there without having to launch a new rocket. Admittedly this becomes way more important with things like Life Support mods, and later game can be overshadowed somewhat by mining.

[stibbons]

An early space station can also be considered an investment. Keep it around and build on it, and eventually you'll have an LKO refuelling platform, supplied by a mining station on one of the moons.

[Warzouz]

A docking node and few spare tanks for RCS/Fuel. If you get into orbit and find you have more fuel than you need then you can drop it into these tanks. This allows you to eventually start having longer-duration missions and makes resupplying easier as you have a supply right there without having to launch a new rocket. Admittedly this becomes way more important with things like Life Support mods, and later game can be overshadowed somewhat by mining.

The docking node is really end-game. In early-mid game, you ahev to do it yourself with radial attachement node + docking port. Those "structural fuselage" are light weight and quite nice on a space station.

As for the OP question, It's quite strange to associate space stations and satelites. Those are totally different structures with different purpose ?

On satellite, stuff all the science you can, antenna and power production ? Transmit everything you can. Except for "gravity" science you get from each biome in low and high space, they are usually not worthwile, except for contracts.

Space stations are very usefull for refuelling around other bodies (I still have a lot of doubts for Kerbin). They also can be usefull as an emergicency recover station to handle miss designed ships (I dit once or twice). A mobile lab is usually a good ideal.

Orbit is also significant if you want to explore a body, a refuel + science station / mothership is more efficient on a polar orbit (I did that on Eeloo, that was very easy). On the other hand, a purely refuelling station around kerbin should be much better on equatorial plane (cheaper rendez-vous and good inclination for simple interplanetary trips).

[Szkeptik]

I just pretend the early satellites are TV sats or something and are owned by the corporation that contracted me to put them there.

[Warzouz]

I must say I deorbit them after fulfilling the contract

I don't like having useless elipses on my map.

[Kaerwek]

I thought it's a bad way to transmit science instead of returning it. Should I expect to get such amount of science later on so that I can skip on on the few points of science that you lose by transmitting it instead of returning with the craft?

[Warzouz]

Yes transmit is less rewarding. But to bring it back you must have a return vehicle. Probes are rarely return vehicles. Further more. When you get science, you want to have a scientist to remove science from equipement to redo science again. If you keep your data and you can't remove it, you can only do it once.

And if you want to dock you probe on station, you need RCS equipement, which is usually not on probes (but nothing is impossible in KSP).

If you want to collect science efficiently you have to send Kerbals. Further more, I suggest you send some kind of refueling mothership/station. Create a very light lander and do some multiple landing and refueling.

I did that on minmus and landed on each of 9 biomes. I got 4 pilots or scientists planting flags. Refueled 3 times. Without gravity and sesmic detector, I did 4500 science on one mission.

In beta 0.9, I did such a mission on Jool and brought back 41000 science points. (that was a really BIG mission)

[cephalo]

I must say I deorbit them after fulfilling the contract

I don't like having useless elipses on my map.

I recently discovered that you can destroy ships and debris through the tacking station. At the time the orbit around Kerbin was so cluttered I could hardly select a maneuver node.