Best ways to collect science with unmanned probes and rovers?

[Dune-]

Hello Fellows,

 

I'm trying to shift my manned ambitions to unmanned probes and rovers. My experience with those is quite limited, so I'm wondering how can I use them to collect science? What can they do? What can't they do? What kind of equipment is necessary? 

I would be great to get advice from the pros on this topic :-)

Thanks!

Dune

[bewing]

There are science experiments that can easily be run multiple times, and there are two science experiments that need to be reset by a scientist specifically -- the goo and the "materials lab"/Sci Jr. So an unmanned rover can only run those last two experiments one time -- which usually isn't worth it. There are three experiments that can only be performed by a kerbal -- surface samples, crew reports, and eva reports. So you can't do those at all. Then you've got the atmospheric variometer which only works at all on CBs with an atmosphere.

So what you're left with on a rover is the thermometer, barometer, seismic scanner, and gravioli meter (if you've unlocked all of those) -- and you need a science container, and an antenna. You can do those 4 experiments, transmit them, do them again, and collect them into the science container. Then drive to the next biome and repeat. But you still need to fly that science container back to Kerbin at the end.

For a single-use probe, you can add the SciJr and goo experiments if you can afford the extra weight.

[Adenosine Triphospate]

Unmanned requires a probe core, and enough electricity to supply it (batteries recommended), and reaction wheels.

Unmanned probes offer no advantage over manned in terms of actual science gains however, they do have some advantages, which concerns ease of acquiring science:

Advantages:

• Don't have to recover unmanned vehicles, you can send experiments via antennas to gain science (although the gain is less than recovering the vehicle).
• Can be lighter (so more delta v), as there is no crew cabins/modules.

Disadvantages:

• Can't do the Science jr and goo experiments more than once (unless you bring another jr/goo)
• Requires probe control. That means you need a good antenna, and be in view towards kerbin, so not behind the mun or too far away (unless you have a relay network)
• No Eva report, crew report or surface sample, which means less experiments and science 
• Requires lots of electricity to send the experiments.

In your situation, I'd recommend manned missions, as unmanned just means more hassle operating them, and the rewards are smaller.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Adenosine Triphospate

[Dropbear67]

The next DLC will address this in a big way

[Foxster]

To be honest, it's currently not a great idea to go unmanned. It will just considerably slow up your progress for no real advantage. 

You will get a lot more science by taking along a scientist to reset experiments and to complete ones only a Kerbal can. You also get a lot more by returning the results to Kerbin.  

It takes little more effort to get a Kerbal to a location than a probe. 

[Guest]

There is one destination that is much easier with a probe than with a kerbaled mission: Eve. That's because getting anything back out of there is a major undertaking, whereas getting a light probe/rover in is pretty easy. You will want a commsat constellation around it to avoid a blackout on entry. 

I sent in this little guy and collected 5 biomes on a 20 km or so drive from the highlands to the sea:

[Epicdreamer]

I find doing probe missions a little bit more challenging than Kerballed missions. Doing probed missions opens up another level of the game, since to keep control over a unkerballed craft you need a relay network, or, if you haven't you need to plan your manouevres very well so that they can be executed when there is a signal (meaning a lign of sight to Kerbin).

Setting up a relay network is well worth the effort I'd say. It's a challenge on its own. It made me puzzle a lot to get a good network configuration so that all places in a planetary system allways have a signal to control your probes. There are many way's to set up a good network.

If you don't like to spend time without gaining science(points) then yes, go for just kerballed missions. On the other hand I think that then you are missing one of the greater features KSP has to offer. 

And relay networks can look very pretty .

[Dune-]

Thanks for the insights and sharing your experiences! 

So is there any type of experiment which can be transmitted without loss? 

Sure it would be fun, but I'm not really seeing an advantage in terms of gaining science. 

[bewing]

3 hours ago, Dune- said:

So is there any type of experiment which can be transmitted without loss?

Yes, but only Kerbals can do those particular experiments.

[Vanamonde]

I only fly crewed missions until I have the probe cores needed for robot ships. They lose most of the science, but collect it so cheaply that it's worthwhile because you don't need to bother bringing the ship back or hauling the mass of crew cabins around. The tech tree can be cleared by landing probes on Mun, flying by the sun, and landing probes on Eve and Duna. Once you have the gravioli sensor, you will get all the science you could ever need. Put one in a polar orbit around each world and send back a grav reading as it passes over each biome. 

[TheFlyingKerman]

Another advantage of an unmanned rover: I can land on more risky locations, because I don’t care the engine breaking or flipping that would strand the crew. Usually I take the best of both worlds, sending a rover in advance. I would drive a few hundred km from biomes to biomes, transmitting one copy back while keeping another copy. Then I send a second, crewed mission to retrieve the results. Had I sent the rover together I would have to drive twice the distance from the landing site and then back.