Getting surface samples without kerbals

[Tortoise]

There should be a part that can reach out and grab a surface sample without kerbals. So I can send an unmanned lander somewhere.

[tntristan12]

It is annoying that unmanned landers can't gather science points. Especially if said lander is the first object onto a body. An arm or some way of grabbing samples and analyzing them to send back data, or even going back home and getting recovered would be great and a welcome addition to career mode.

[sal_vager]

Totally agree, KSP really needs Kerbal analogues for many real life probe parts, arms, mini chemistry sets, spectrometers, even radio receivers to listen to Jool.

More science can't be bad

[Tex_NL]

This has been suggested several times in the past. And there are already a few mods that can do this.

One of those mods is BahamutoD's Surface Sample Drill: forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/70325

[r4pt0r]

this would be excellent. call it a soil scoop or something, and let us mount it radially.

not sure if it should count towards surface sample science though. that would devalue future manned returns a bit.

[Sirrobert]

No, I think EVA report, crew report, and surface sample should remain Kerbal exclusive.

All other science can already be collected by probes, and Manned missions should remain the best for science.

You have to haul alot more mass, so you should be rewarded with more science for it

[CaptRobau]

No, I think EVA report, crew report, and surface sample should remain Kerbal exclusive.

All other science can already be collected by probes, and Manned missions should remain the best for science.

You have to haul alot more mass, so you should be rewarded with more science for it

Manned missions already have enough advantages even if probes get surface samples. Manned missions can use every unmanned experiment as well (and more easily take it back home to get max science), they reset goo containers and materials bays using the lab and can more easily traverse multiple biomes (Kerbal on EVA can easily get all biomes) than a simple lander. At the moment there is very few reasons to use unmanned missions. The balance can be moved more towards the center, without removing all advantages of manned missions.

[dryer_lint]

I agree with this. I think a "camera" part would also be cool, you get points based on how much of a planet is visible in the camera, etc.

[regex]

Manned missions already have enough advantages even if probes get surface samples. Manned missions can use every unmanned experiment as well (and more easily take it back home to get max science), they reset goo containers and materials bays using the lab and can more easily traverse multiple biomes (Kerbal on EVA can easily get all biomes) than a simple lander. At the moment there is very few reasons to use unmanned missions. The balance can be moved more towards the center, without removing all advantages of manned missions.

Manned missions are (literally) the name of the game here, so I don't feel like that is a bad thing at all. Perhaps a compromise of allowing probes to generate a "crew" report would be good, but surface samples should require a heavier, riskier manned lander to obtain (considering how lucrative they are), otherwise there would be no reason to send Kerbals anywhere; people would just use probe carousels and make multiple small landings.

[Kegereneku]

I agree with this suggestion. (sample only, no report)

Probes don't need to be nerfed any more or at least in that way.

If there's a balance to do, why not have a "communication range" for probes ? or have the Crew give much more of that "reputation" resource (if still planned) ?

[Tortoise]

I agree with this. I think a "camera" part would also be cool, you get points based on how much of a planet is visible in the camera, etc.

You should check out Hullcam.

But yeah it'd be nice.

[MircoMars]

I like the scoop idea:

size and movement like the landing legs, but pretty heavy and fragile (i.e. you can''t land on it). needs to touch ground to take sample. can't take water samples. larger scoop = more science.

+extra part to take water samples.

perhaps combine it with a minilab, which is needed to transmit the sample data. without minilab you'd need to return the sample. it can be upgraded in the techtree to get more sensors (moar science).

[Sirrobert]

I agree with this suggestion. (sample only, no report)

Probes don't need to be nerfed any more or at least in that way.

If there's a balance to do, why not have a "communication range" for probes ? or have the Crew give much more of that "reputation" resource (if still planned) ?

Eehm.

Noone's talking about nerfing probes. Giving them acces to surface samples would be a buf.

NOT giving them acces to surface samples would not change anything

[Shna_na]

I think we need proper rover/probe tools adding to the game. At the moment, sending a probe is pointless because you're so limited in terms of science. Adding things such as laser spectrometers, microscopic analysis of sample scoops, and on-craft cameras is something that needs to be done. The game will be better for it .

[cantab]

this would be excellent. call it a soil scoop or something, and let us mount it radially.

not sure if it should count towards surface sample science though. that would devalue future manned returns a bit.

Perhaps have the unmanned gadget collect a "Soil Sample" while Kerbals can collect that and also a "Rock Sample".