Exploration Methods

[septemberWaves]

I am curious; what are everyone's favourite methods for exploring other celestial bodies in KSP?

In my case, I like to complicate things rather a lot, and send numerous probes (each with only one or two science experiments, and designed with appearance in mind) before planning extensive crewed missions in a somewhat realistic style (which is in part helped by playing at 3.2x scale and with Kerbalism, but that is just what I enjoy).

[Snark]

Depends on the body.

• Minmus:  send one lander that biome-hops a lot before returning (since it has such low gravity).
• Mun:  multiple landers as needed, each of which hops 2 or 3 biomes.
• Duna:  Apollo style.  Big fuel tank in low orbit.  Lander that goes down, then returns to dock and refuel before repeating.
• Eve:  one-way lander probes, early, 'coz it's so easy.  Eventually a crewed lander-and-return in late game.
• etc.

 

[N_Danger]

 Probes first and/or comm relays, then kerbaled missions. For missions beyond Minmus I send kerbaled expeditions setting up a station to send lander's down to various biomes (or to moons in the case of Jool).

[Cavscout74]

Typically probes first, followed by or simultaneous with unmanned landers.  Kerbaled missions usually get a station, a dedicated lander, a crew transport to take them from Kerbin & back home, and usually some kind of ground base.  Early on, tankers get sent as well.  ISRU & larger bases get added for later missions. 

[Aegolius13]

I probably have more exceptions than rules, but for interplanetary stuff, I broadly go in three sequential waves:

1.  Unmanned ship with a bunch of little science landers, and relay equipment if I've got CommNet.

2.  Simple single-use manned lander -- usually either direct ascent or Apollo-style.

3.  Large colonization wave with orbital stations, reusable landers, mining equipment and the like.

[Tyko]

4 hours ago, septemberWaves said:

In my case, I like to complicate things rather a lot, and send numerous probes (each with only one or two science experiments, and designed with appearance in mind) before planning extensive crewed missions in a somewhat realistic style (which is in part helped by playing at 3.2x scale and with Kerbalism, but that is just what I enjoy).

I kind of follow this path. I'm playing at 2.5x scale and 30% science, so I have to get some early probes out with whatever tech I can early just to start unlocking more. 

[Xurkitree]

Eariler, I used to just send 2 manned missions to each body to collect science, but since I know play on OPM+CTT+Bunch of part mods+30% science and Life Support, I've been sending various probes wherever possible to get the science and achievements. Only later I've started sending manned missions, especially now - but I was put off them for a while due to the Eve mission running out of fuel and that was irritating af.

[Loskene]

I try to do something a little different every time, otherwise the playthroughs get stale before mid-game. In my fresh 1.6 career for example, my usual procedure for SCANsat mapping the Kerbin system involved 2 launches, a polar launch for Kerbin and an equatorial launch with 2 probes for its moons. This time I decided to test myself a little, and do all 3 in a single launch. Went straight for a polar orbit of Kerbin, then sent the other 2 on an off-plane transfer to the Mun, with one of them braking into orbit and the other using the Mun as a slingshot to correct most of its inclination and boost its orbit towards Minmus. Turned out to be surprisingly easy to achieve, I expected the Minmus transfer to be a pain (since I didn't worry about timing at all) but it only took one dogleg burn at Mun periapsis and a small correction on trans-Minmal orbit. I think this will be my standard operating procedure when I start a new game from now on, saved a lot of time and delta-v!

[Ozymandias_the_Goat]

17 hours ago, septemberWaves said:

somewhat realistic style (which is in part helped by playing at 3.2x scale and with Kerbalism, but that is just what I enjoy).

Pretty much the same for me, but I use 6.4x, SMURFF, and tweakscale. It’s a sort of “RO-lite”.

[dxeh]

as im playing Kerbalism/RemoteTech

• Polar inspaceLow/High biome hop with an scientist and an OKTO for early science
• Kerbin ComSat System (3x KerbinSync, 1x Inclined)
• Manned Mun Touch & Return (2 or 3 biomes)
• Munar ComSat System (4x Equator, 1x Inclined, 1x Scansat)
• Munar Rover (Flat spot search)
• Repeat above 3 for Minmus
• Start manned missions to Mun and Minmus

[Pecan]

1. Local equitorial comms relay constellation & polar interplanetary relays
2. ScanSat & resource mappers
3. One-way landers
4. ISRU, which co-incidentally refuels the landers and ...
5. Spacestation, which reuses the landers
6. Reusable crewed landers

With never-landing space-only tugs/ferries running between all the stations.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Pecan

[SiriusRocketry]

My interplanetary career missions go like this (examples from current career) 

Duna is the subject of this list:

Pilgrim program (probes) 

Pilgrim 2: flyby Duna and Ike

Pilgrim 5: orbiter of Duna, mini Ike lander

Pilgrim 7: orbiter for Ike, Duna landing

Theta program (manned) 

pre-Mission 1: cargo launched to Duna, nuclear mothership assembly in orbit. 

Theta 1: Landing in the Midlands Sea: 40 day stay. 

Theta 2: Landing just below the North Pole. 25 day stay

Theta 3: Landing in Duna Highlands, 37 day stay (last 8 days of mission aborted due to imminent lander damage) 

Theta 4: Landing 5km from the lip of the Western Canyon. 55 day stay

Theta 5: Final mission: landing in Duna's Midlands. 45 day stay.