Using the Science Jr

[Mister Kerman]

I was wondering what the best way to utilize a Science Jr was. Is there any solid advantage of using one or is it always better to set up an orbital lab?

Edited March 3, 2015 by Mister Kerman

[Starwhip]

The Science Jr and the Mobile Processing Lab are two different things entirely.

The Science Jr is a science experiment.

The MPL is a thing that lets you clean out experiments and boost transmission values, provided you have the two Kerbals to use it.

As for advantages, I find that several Science Jr's and Goo Canisters beat one of each and the lab any day.

EDIT:

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/SC-9001_Science_Jr

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mobile_Processing_Lab_MPL-LG-2

[Specialist290]

Moving this to the main Gameplay Questions forum, as the Tutorials subforum is specifically for tutorials

[eddiew]

My personal 'best' way to use the Jr is on the end of a decoupler

Have a kerbal take the science out, then hoof it off your ship to save weight before return. It's not expensive enough to be worth ferrying it to and from an orbital lab for cleaning, unless you have some mods for in-situ fuel production.

[Mister Kerman]

The Science Jr is a science experiment.

O... M... G...

You just blew my mind. I always thought it was a short-lived disposable lab.

[Pecan]

...As for advantages, I find that several Science Jr's and Goo Canisters beat one of each and the lab any day. ...

I'm surprised you say that Starwhip. True, you can have 10 each science jrs and goo for the mass of a lab but a) that'll cost you 4 times as much, it's limited to 10 biomes/situations. c) it's 19 more parts, d) stations look cool with labs!

It's probably one of those things that's a matter of preferred play-style but I find it much better to put a lab-equipped station/mothership in orbit around a body while landers ferry the instruments up and down.

[FlyingPete]

It's probably one of those things that's a matter of preferred play-style but I find it much better to put a lab-equipped station/mothership in orbit around a body while landers ferry the instruments up and down.

This is how I like to do exploration as well. Have a station with a lab and fuel supplies, and use a reusable lander to explore the surface. Especially now there's biomes everywhere this strategy seems more efficient and neater.

[ATSinged]

This is how I like to do exploration as well. Have a station with a lab and fuel supplies, and use a reusable lander to explore the surface. Especially now there's biomes everywhere this strategy seems more efficient and neater.

I did this for the first time in my last career play through. Stuck a station with a lab, a big fuel and RCS reserve in a 75 x 75 polar orbit over the Mun and used it mainly to service the landers. Setting up logistics to keep it fueled and figuring out solutions to things like "Jeb got drunk and took out my solar arrays" problems added a lot of fun to the game play.

It eventually evolved in to that station, another one over Kerbin with a "pine cone" of 1 man capsules to drop Kerbals carrying science down cheaply, ferries and tankers running back and forth, etc. It was rather enjoyable doing this and trying to make it efficient, the big benefit was it seemed to drop my cost quite a bit because I wasn't doing as many heavy launches and when I did they had multiple missions. The only downside is if you are not any good at rendezvous and docking, you will have to get better at it.

This play through is using Karbonite, I'm planning something similar but hopefully more self sufficient.

[FlyingPete]

It definitely involves a lot more specialised infrastructure compared to the 'Apollo method', but I think it's more fulfilling and also cheaper overall. You can ferry the crew and fuel supplies to/from LKO in SSTO aircraft, use an orbital shuttle to go between space stations, and have reusable landers at the station. All 100% reusable so very cheap to run. And yes, you'll end up very good at planning a rendezvous

[celem]

In career terms, where cash is a thing, then its worth setting up a lab if you plan to make more than a token landing or two. Its also a handy staging point for unknown future contracts you might want to take. Even though im not going to land on Mun more than maybe twice in any given game, i'll still usually put up a lab incase i get a contract near a particularly cool surface feature.

In a few situations its pointless. Dont put a lab round minmus for instance, you can probably knock the whole moon out in 2 visits with multiple disposable experiments and sub-orbital hops for less than the cost of getting a lab and associated paraphernalia into its orbit.

[Skorpychan]

Way I see it, it's probably worth sticking a lab in orbit around every planet, then use it to service landers going to and from the planet and muns, harvesting all the science from them before sending a big wodge of it back at once.

Then you can send smaller missions, just carrying crews and supplies back and forth.

[Vorg]

What I plan to do, maybe not the smartest, make a rover with a lab and other parts and then rome the moons using the lab to reset the other stuff.

[Torquimedes]

If you've unlocked the Science Jr and Goo Canister, you can mount multiples on a rocket or plane and land it in various biomes around Kerbin, even if you lack wheels.

If you've unlocked the Mobile Lab as well, you can take just one of each experiment type you've unlocked. The Lab can reset those experiments to perform multiple times, and store multiple copies of the results, until you hit the limit of diminishing returns.

Check this thread for ideas and sample craft if you haven't exhausted Kerbin's biomes yet.

FYI the Science Alert mod is a very helpful way to know when you've arrived in a new situation where you can harvest more Science, and perform experiments from a handy control panel instead of having to click directly on each tiny part.

[breakthrough]

Make sure your orbiting lab has at least three docking ports. One for the lander, one for the vehicle that will move crew and science, and one last one to add on something you didn't realize you needed until after you arrive.