darthWes

So, as the title says, I have a contract to do some readings on another planet (Duna). I'm also under contract to land a large base onto Ike, so I'm thinking of doing both missions concurrently. Obviously I can over-engineer a giant lander and go take the samples I want. However, I would like to insert a drone and let it gather all the data instead. My issue(s) are basically with design of a rover/drone. I can't find any good resources to help me figure out how to build a rover that doesn't basically tip over/destroy itself. Further, I would really like to be able to complete contracts in the future where I might need to get some height above the target as well. Or I might want to bring the drone back home after picking up the science so I would ideally like somthing super efficient to go down get multiple readings and re-ascend to be captured and taken home. Basically I'm terrible with drones and I need help actually creating one. Are there any good resources I can check out? Also I'm wondering what the most efficient drone would look like in theory, anyone have that sort of knowledge they'd like to impart? Finally is there a way I can build the thing such that I don't have to continually rebuild it every time I get a new mission/contract? Thanks!

I'm specifically trying to find the kethane mod (it sounds awesome...), anyone who could help with that would be much appreciated. I'd also like to know/understand why spaceport is not able to help me find it? Also the search functionality on spaceport is highly dysfunctional; if I search for say "kethane", then I can't find the kethane mod. Then if I search for "conics" it actually searches for "kethane conics"...What gives? Is this new or how it's always been? Who runs the spaceport? User community or Squad?

Mun/Minmus science pickups - Sure you can go polar and chain-eva report for a few hours... Also similar problem with surface samples from said biomes...Wish there was a way to map out the biomes and mark the ones you've collected and/or not chain-eva-report. It's just time consuming/not enjoyable/work when all I really want to do is pick up the science from the moon(s) and go home.

Thank you all for all the help. You have restored my faith in Kerbanity. I was able to bring my Kerbals home! (BTW, does this game become "Put gas tanks into orbit" after you work through the learning curve or what?) How would I mark this as answered?

Two questions: 1) Im in polar orbit around Duna, I want to return to Kerbin. Mechjeb tells me I have to get an equatorial orbit in order to get home. This can't possibly be true, right? How hard is getting back to kerbin from a polar orbit? 2) The delta-v required to change from polar to equatorial is MASSIVE (according to Mechjeb). Is this right? What's the most effecient way to change your orbital plane (I dont have the fuel to do what mechjeb thinks is the best way)? It seems like MJ wants to kill all the vertical momentum, then burn horizontally. Couldn't I slowly make micro burns to change my orbit and save a ton of fuel?