Why have satellites?

[MudCan]

I searched reddit, I googled it but can't find an answer. The wiki thing in-game explains some of it but not really. Please help a KSP noob out! Thanks in advance!

[James Kerman]

Welcome to the forum @MudCan, I mostly play career so the main reason I put up sats is to fulfil contracts however I make sure to add a relay antenna and usually a science experiment so that they expand my communications network and allow me to easily do 'science from orbit' experiments at no added cost.

[MudCan]

Thank you for the fast reply!

[coop2168]

If you want, do Sandbox so you can get your feet wet and get used to the mechanics of KSP, do career once you are used to the game. 

[Spricigo]

Why not?

It looks cool and is easier/cheaper to put in orbit than a keraled craft.

Playing in career mode:

Doing "position a satellite in [designed orbit]" contracts

Doing "position [designed satellite] in a adjusted [designed orbit]" contacts.

With science instruments and an antenna: can do "science in orbit of [celestial body]" contracts

With a relay antenna: extending communication network

With Remote Guidance Unite, Relay antenna, Pilot onboard(not really a satellite anymore at that point but for the sake of completeness): Allow control of probes not connected to KSC's communication network.

 

[coop2168]

Mean if you want to get your feet wet so go ahead into sandbox but I didnt say  always 

[jimmymcgoochie]

If your question is ‘why use satellites instead of crewed ships with Kerbals aboard’, the answers are:

• lower cost, both of the probe (usually) and the propulsion gubbins needed to put it into orbit then fly it to where it’s going;
• reduced mass, which can help reduce costs and also gives you more delta-V with the same propulsion setup thus giving you more range and bigger margins;
• communications for future missions, if your satellite has relay dishes and you’re using the CommNet;
• completing contracts of varying descriptions;
• and most importantly, a probe can be discarded once it has completed its mission whereas it’s generally frowned upon to do the same when Kerbals are inside the craft. I somehow doubt that the Moon landings would have been as popular if Armstrong and Aldrin had been left on the moon once their mission had been completed, as is the case with the Surveyor landers that went before (and one of which was visited by Apollo 12, fun fact).

[king of nowhere]

22 hours ago, coop2168 said:

If you want, do Sandbox so you can get your feet wet and get used to the mechanics of KSP, do career once you are used to the game. 

i actually suggest the opposite, starting with career before going sandbox.

the reason is that too much choice is daunting when you don't know already what you want. to a master painter, a blank slate is ready to be filled with whatever masterwork he can conceive. to a novice, a blank slate is just that: blank, empty, meaningless. he'd much rather have some shapes already drawn that he has to color or add detail, because that gives him a clear objective.

i started with career because i wanted to start with few, simple pieces and gradually expand as i mastered the game.

[coop2168]

36 minutes ago, king of nowhere said:

i actually suggest the opposite, starting with career before going sandbox.

the reason is that too much choice is daunting when you don't know already what you want. to a master painter, a blank slate is ready to be filled with whatever masterwork he can conceive. to a novice, a blank slate is just that: blank, empty, meaningless. he'd much rather have some shapes already drawn that he has to color or add detail, because that gives him a clear objective.

i started with career because i wanted to start with few, simple pieces and gradually expand as i mastered the game.

I guess that makes more sense now.

[James M]

Nobody said it yet, but only ore detectors in a polar orbit can show the ore overlay (Showing where ore is on the surface). If you ever plan on mining, you have to use one of these first to know you're landing in a desirable location and as stated before it's generally cheaper to do so with a probe so that's usually the route people take. Furthermore, you can keep it there forever and never have to worry about your kerbals getting bored/hungry in a pod lol   Seriously though, the other nice thing about probes are that unlike kerbals they can use the KerbNet system. This will show things like elevation and biomes on the surface and allow you to make points of interest ON THE SURFACE ITSELF. I do this all the time to decide where to land my crafts! And the last golden nugget to piece it all together? Polar orbits pass over the entirety of the surface as the planet rotates underneath so by combining surface sanners and KerbNet all together, you can perfectly plan future missions! Satellites are so cool! 

Edited June 25, 2020 by James M