Retrieving Science Points

[kestrel452]

Hey guys, new flier here.

A couple questions if you do not mind...

1) Is it necessary for the Mystery Goo container to survive re-entry in order to receive the science points, assuming you've inspected it and clicked "keep data" while still in space?

2) What does "reset experiment" do? Does it just close the inspection window on the goo and science module, or completely reset everything making you lose out on the science points?

Thanks

[ElWanderer]

1. Yes if the science is kept inside the canister, you must return the canister to Kerbin's surface. But you can use a Kerbal on EVA to take the data and place it in a command pod, in which case the goo canister need not be returned.

2. If you have taken the science out of a goo canister (either by a Kerbal on EVA as per 1 above or by transmitting) the goo canister will become unusable... unless you reset it, in which case it can be used again. If the science is still inside, resetting the canister will wipe the science.

Edit: I think I've got myself confused there with point 2. Scientists can clean out single-use instruments (goo canisters, science juniors) so that they can be re-used, but that's probably not what you mean by the reset button.

Edited November 6, 2015 by ElWanderer
think I am confused about reset button

[jiminator]

note that scientists can take the experiment out and reset the canister which allows it to be used again. if you put the science into the ship you can then transmit it... and repeat the process. The experiments can be run multiple times in the same area, however only part of the data can be transmitted.

[Snark]

Welcome to the forums!

1. What ElWanderer said. You don't get credit for the science unless you bring it back to Kerbin and recover it with the ship. This works if the science is still sitting in the science instrument that acquired it, and also works if the science is sitting in your command pod because you transferred it there via a kerbal on EVA.

2. "Reset experiment" throws away the science and you get no credit for it. Don't do this unless you actually don't need it. This functionality is there mainly as an "undo button" in case you take a science measurement that you didn't mean to. For example, you have a ship that you're sending to the Mun, but it's currently in low Kerbin orbit. You accidentally trigger your goo canister, but you don't want to keep the science result because you already got a goo result for near-Kerbin space on an earlier mission, so it's worth zero now. So you click "reset experiment" so that the goo canister will stay available for your arrival at the Mun.

There's also the ability to transmit science instead of returning it. This is mainly useful for crew reports and EVA reports. Everything else is of questionable benefit to transmit, because 1. you lose a large percentage of the science points when you transmit, and 2. if you then go out and collect the science again to bring back to Kerbin, the points you got from transmitting are taken out of the points you get for returning them. So you don't actually gain anything by transmitting.

The main reason to transmit is when you have a one-way mission, e.g. a Mun lander that doesn't take off again. In that case you transmit because half a loaf is better than none.

[magnemoe]

note that scientists can take the experiment out and reset the canister which allows it to be used again. if you put the science into the ship you can then transmit it... and repeat the process. The experiments can be run multiple times in the same area, however only part of the data can be transmitted.

This, standard with scientist is one transfer and then store. Yes this leaves a little science left but you can always to material lab and goo science on an follow up mission too. I always use scientist for this missions once I unlock probes with sas, you will need to unlock eva too.

Same applies to seismic, gravity, atmosphere analyze and surface samples, transmit and store.

For interplanetary ships with science lab you want to collect science for the lab, one tricks is to do some science on mun or minmus and store in an orbital station and use this to top up your lab, that is unless you also do an station around Mun or Minmus on the ship before lauching.

[Newnard]

For interplanetary ships with science lab you want to collect science for the lab, one tricks is to do some science on mun or minmus and store in an orbital station and use this to top up your lab, that is unless you also do an station around Mun or Minmus on the ship before lauching.

One thing I'm a little confused about is if labs consume or duplicate science. For example, if I'm on minmus with a lab and a mystery goo canister, and I want to study the goo in the lab but also return the data to kerbin, is the sequence basically:

1) Observe goo.

2) Put data in lab.

3) Reset goo and observe again.

4) Take second set of data to kerbin, while lab studies first set.

Or is it more like this

1) Observe goo.

2) Load goo data into lab, retaining a copy.

3) Return goo data to kerbin, while lab continues to work on it.

To be clear, in my example the lab stays on minmus.

[Snark]

Or is it more like this

1) Observe goo.

2) Load goo data into lab, retaining a copy.

3) Return goo data to kerbin, while lab continues to work on it.

This one.

Here's an explanation that may be helpful.

[Newnard]

Thanks Snark, that's perfect and exactly what I needed. I also just found this one which is similarly useful: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/119620-Care-and-Feeding-of-your-MPL-LG-2-Mobile-Processing-Lab-in-1-0-How-to-be-a-science-farmer -- in case anyone wanted to read more.