Science limitations/Spaceships Useless after science depletion

[LordofRockets]

I've sent many probes to orbit planets or moons to gain science, however these are usually in earlier parts of the current career system. So I send these probes out and I send back all my information that they gather and then... they're useless. I commonly send them into the planet they are orbiting to gain atmospheric data on the way down to get a final amount of science out of them before they impact. I feel there should be a system that passively gives a small amount of science for leaving these probes in orbit around another terrestrial body and maintaining them. There would obviously have to be some balancing mechanics so people don't just leave them in space and time warp for max science, however with the plans for reputation should fix that problem. If you're not launching constant space missions you're space program is obviously worthless so you're reputation drops. But say later in the game you have probes orbiting every body, perhaps your reputaion can be based also on the rate at which you gain science, so for having many probes gathering large amounts of science continuously you get better reputation. I've read into the current planned release of 0.23 however it doesn't solve this problem and there is no mention of it even being a problem yet so I thought I might as well say something.

[Kasuha]

In real world, probes which did their task are often deactivated or destroyed, too. Very few of the early probes are still used to gather scientific data.

[LordofRockets]

Yes however many of them do not complete their jobs in a matter of a few days, things like space telescopes and things meant for data gathering over time are meant for long term scientific data, not quick and done.

[LethalDose]

Yes however many of them do not complete their jobs in a matter of a few days, things like space telescopes and things meant for data gathering over time are meant for long term scientific data, not quick and done.

Probes are designed to perform multiple tasks in a single flight because they take years and millions (billions?) of dollars to develop, design, build and launch. We get to avoid that in the game. In return, they're more disposable.

[Dun Kirk]

I have a suggestion.... booze *downs some single malt whiskey*

[Sirrobert]

I have a suggestion.... booze *downs some single malt whiskey*

Amen.

On topic: I'm pritty sure the devs said they don't want science over time. Besides, you get MORE than enough science from just sending probes to unlock the tech tree. No reason to give even more