I just learned an expensive lesson.

[strider3]

I did my first major science landing on Mun. I have done a few before but all the science equipment was on the command pod. This time I had it on the fuel tanks used for landing on Mun and returning to Kerbin as the command pod doesn't have room for all of that, the screenshot is a bit dark but...:

I didn't realize until I landed on Kerbin that all my experiment science was gone (other than an EVA report, soil sample, etc.). OUCH!

I now realize one way of avoiding this is to use a lander can and stick all the experiments on that, or any other piece that will return to Kerbin. But, is there a way to "store" the science data and NOT have the physical experiment parts return to Kerbin?

Vic (I.O.U. 178 science points) the Newbal

[FancyMouse]

Kerbal can take science data when it's EVA near the instrument. Then it can store the experiment when it's near the pod or just trying to board the pod. Both take data and store experiment are in right-click menu.

In this way you not only can store the science in pod, but also perform the same experiment from different biomes with a single instrument and store both of them in pod. That's the trick how a single Minmus trip can gather thousands of science points and almost finish the stock tech tree.

[Gaarst]

If you play career and have upgraded the Astronaut Complex far enough that you can do EVAs (or at any time in the other game modes), while in EVA near a science part, you can right click it to do several actions including  "collect experiment" (might be worded differently in the game) that allows you to take the experiment out of the part and into the Kerbal. When the Kerbal reenters its capsule, the experiments will be stored inside the pod and you will not lose them when jettisoning the science parts.

Note that this also allows you to perform several different experiments with a single science part (except the Goo canister and Materials Bay which require a scientist to reset them) by taking one experiment out of the part, allowing to perform another one without having to overwrite or transmit the first experiment.

The reason you didn't lose the EVA report and soil sample is because these experiments are directly stored in the EVA'd Kerbals, and then in the pod when the Kerbal boards it.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Gaarst
Using the wrong verbs and stuff...

[Nightside]

You can extract the "data" from your experiments by sending a kerbal on EVA and right clicking each part. Then you can store the data in any command pod. Data gets stored automatically in any command pod the kerbal enters. Also you can move stored science from pod to pod in this way.

Additionally, a skilled scientist can reset experiments, so they can be run again, however you can't have more than one experiment of each type stored in the command pod.

[strider3]

Excellent...thank you!

[OhioBob]

Even though you can take the science from the part and transfer it to the command pod, it is still beneficial to mount the experiment to the pod when practical.  This way you can recover some of the cost of the experiment after returning to Kerbin.  Some of those experiments are rather pricey, so don't throw them away if you don't have to.

[Rocket In My Pocket]

1 hour ago, OhioBob said:

Even though you can take the science from the part and transfer it to the command pod, it is still beneficial to mount the experiment to the pod when practical.  This way you can recover some of the cost of the experiment after returning to Kerbin.  Some of those experiments are rather pricey, so don't throw them away if you don't have to.

I agree for everything but the Science Jr.

Considering it's cheap price tag of 880 Funds, when compared to it's weight, awkwardly large size (As large or larger than the Mk.1 command pod itself!), and exceedingly weak crash tolerance it just hardly seems worth the effort.

Everything else is either small enough,light enough, and/or expensive enough to warrant saving.

[Van Disaster]

Alternatively if you're happy to use mods, there are a few which can move science around - ShipManifest, I think [x]Science!, Tarsier Space Telescope has a science storage device.

I am attempting to knock up little Eve landers to be dropped off on a flyby, and with all the science kit they're up to 80k each... the actual lander is a probe core, a battery, a beam, a parachute and a couple k's worth of engine & fuel just to orient it. Science is not cheap.