If I break solar and radiator panels does the craft's mass go down?

[JacobJHC]

To celebrate hitting 50 subscribers on my YouTube channel I decided to send 50 Kerbals to Moho and Back. Getting them to Moho took quite a bit of time but getting them back might be an issue. The lander has juuuust enough fuel to reach orbit but I want to make the margins safer. The lander has 4 large solar panels and 4 large radiators. What I plan to do is slam a Kerbal into 2 of the solar panels and into all 4 radiator panels so save weight. But does breaking the panels off actually save weight or just make debris? Thanks. Here's a picture to help clarify.

[James Kerman]

After a few drop tests in sandbox I can confirm the vessel does not lose mass.

[DrLicor]

Solar panels and radiators are light weighted, compared to the fuel tanks, so breaking them wouldn't get your marge much saver.
However, since @James Kerman has tested it, I think it doesn't loose mass because the solarpanel module is still there, you only need to repair it. (not sure)
If you want to loose mass, you need to rip it off completely. This can be done by install the KIS and KAS mod, this allows you to detach modules.

Edited November 23, 2016 by DrLicor