How to use the science lab?

[HSV Guy]

As much as I love this game, sometimes I hate it. I just can't seem to work out how to use the Mobile Processing Lab (despite reading a number of posts.wikis about it).

My plan is:

1. Land a MPL on Mun.

2. Using another craft (lets call it 'Science Gatherer') I will go around Mun and pick up heaps of science.

3. Science Gatherer will then stop by near the MPL (but not dock). Kerbal will EVA and take the experiments out of the Science Gatherer and store it in the MPL.

4. MPL will then start to process the data.

5. My kerbal (from Science Gatherer) will then collect the experiments and store them back in Science Gatherer.

6. Science Gatherer will dock with a space station I have around Mun.

7. Experiments will be transferred to another ship that will go back to Kerbin to get the full value of the science.

First of all, will the above work/is it possible?

Second, I'm trying to get this to kind of happen on the Kerbin launchpad and am failing at the first step.

Q.1 How do you actually get data into the MPL? At the launchpad I have a ship with a MPL, two command modules and a number of science experiments. My understanding is that you run the experiment and then there will be an option to process it the MPL, this will add data to the MPL and then you can start researching in the MPL. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but I often don't get the option to process in the MPL (can only some experiments be processed?).

Q1.5 How would this work when I've collected the data on another craft. Do I extract the experiments from the other craft, store them in the MPL craft, review the data and there is suddenly a 'process in MPL' icon as the craft I'm in now has an MPL?

Q.2 Do you need to have to Kerbals? I read one post where it mentioned that you had to have two, but nothing else I have read mentions a requirement to have two.

Q.3 Is there anything else I should be aware of?

Q.4 How would it be possible to land a MPL craft in a horizontal position on mun? At the moment I'll be landing my vertically with a docking port on top. But as it is 11.6 meters tall I expect if I tried to dock anything it would just fall over. Do people just land all of their surface 'bases' vertically?

Edited September 22, 2015 by HSV Guy

[cantab]

There's a tutorial, but to answer your questions:

1) Store data in the lab as you would in a command pod. Then, with a Kerbal in the lab, right click the lab and choose "Review Data" and you'll have the option to process it provided that result hasn't been processed already.

2) Not sure. Try it and see.

3) The lab wants power. Half a dozen extending panels or a Gigantor or two should be enough. When you come to transmit the science it can be a long transmission so have 2000-3000 Ec to support that. The lab isn't a command module, so add a probe core or command pod to it.

If you're going to have a Mun station consider putting a lab there too, it can process the same experiments as the base for even more science. (Personally I went with just an orbital station and no base, because I'm good at rendezvous and docking but bad at precision landing.)

4) Quite straightforward. I suggest a symmetric arrangement with the lab in the middle and fuel tanks on either end. Mount your choice of engines, and don't forget a docking port or probe core on the top that you can right-click and choose "control from here" on. Launch it in the vertical position. Remember that docking on a planetary surface is hard, so I suggest a simple one piece base.

[Clipperride]

The only other thing to be aware of is that the MPL can only store 500 units of data to process at a time. This is separate to the data you carry across to it. As mentioned above, once your Kerbal carrying the data enters the MPL, it will be stored in the same way as in a command pod. It won't add anything to your 500 data cap. Again, as above, you review the data and choose the flask like icon and the data is copied across, filling up some of the 500 data available. The original data still exists and can be taken out and transfered back to Kerbal as you intend.

You only need one scientist to process data in the lab. The amount of Science per day depends on i) how many scientists (upto two in the MPL, but if the lab was attached to a station with scientists in other modules, they count too.). ii) The level of those scientists (in career mode) and iii) how much of that 500 data you have filled up.

As time passes the data is turned into science points, but again there is a limit to how many the lab can hold. You don't loose anything if you reach this limit (which I think is also 500, but I'm not certain without looking), but your scientists stop work until you transmit the science points freeing up space.

So, you want to check back fairly regularly to transmit the science points and process some more experiments to refill the 500 units of data storage. They are also fairly power hungry when first processing an experiment to turn it into data and when transmitting the science points back home, so add a power source or two.

I've found a lab orbiting the Mun and Minmus have really helped unlock the tech tree. Especially when you return from a mission and find you're a few science points short of unlocking that next node. A quick trip to the MPL can often make up the difference.

As for deploying the base. I tend to land things vertically and then have some lander legs part way up to act as a tipping point. Lifting the original legs on that side shifts the lander to the middle legs and from there, they retract and set the base down on its permanent legs. Another method if you have LF/OX ion board is to add a few vernier engines to both tip the lander over and, on the other side, to cushion its fall.

Hope that helps. Happy experimenting

[SpeedDaemon]

My plan is:

1. Land a MPL on Mun.

2. Using another craft (lets call it 'Science Gatherer') I will go around Mun and pick up heaps of science.

3. Science Gatherer will then stop by near the MPL (but not dock). Kerbal will EVA and take the experiments out of the Science Gatherer and store it in the MPL.

4. MPL will then start to process the data.

5. My kerbal (from Science Gatherer) will then collect the experiments and store them back in Science Gatherer.

6. Science Gatherer will dock with a space station I have around Mun.

7. Experiments will be transferred to another ship that will go back to Kerbin to get the full value of the science.

First of all, will the above work/is it possible?

Well, I would consider doing Minmus first, as repeated landings are much cheaper/easier.

My MO is generally the following:

1. Build a station with the MPL, lander can, X200-16 tank, monoprop tanks, poodle, docking port, antenna, and good number of solar panels and batteries (I aim for about 6000 stored EC).

2. Put it in orbit of Minmus, aiming to have most of that fuel tank still full.

3. Send a tiny lander with about 3k dV, docking port, and all of the experiments I have.

4. Go down to a new biome with the lander, suck out all of the science, and bring it back to the lab. I put those experiments that have already been uploaded for research (and are ready to go back to Kerbin) into the lab for storage.

4a. A kerbal can only take ALL of the experiments to/from a capsule or lab, so I tend to leave the data in the instruments on the lander until they're copied for research (which you can do directly, if you're docked), at which point that data, and only that data, can be transferred to the lab.

5. Refuel the lander from the lab tanks, and repeat.

6. Occasionally send out a craft with fuel and a re-entry-capable pod to retrieve the experiments and refuel. (be sure to rotate out your scientists, so they can get xp for landing and get back to Kerbin to level up)

[moogoob]

Good thread - answering many of my own questions. My own attempts (first time doing career in a while!) keep getting hit by Kraken attacks. I blame the service bay.

I'll get my Minmus station working some day!

EDIT: Good tip with crew rotations for experience.