Is there a way to get samples from the automatic arm?

[Izeeplayer]

I'm designing missions to Duna with some rovers, but I'm worried that I won't be able to return the samples I collect with a rover to Kerbin. Has anyone tried this out?

[fragtzack]

Spent a few hours playing with this same question yesterday.

Yes, this is possible. 

You need to return the rover to the mothership that landed. When they get close to each other, the science reports data will become "Combined" is the word at the top of the science report list. Then you can fly the mothership back to Kerbin and leave the Rover on Duna.

 

 

[PTNLemay]

On 12/25/2023 at 1:23 PM, fragtzack said:

...

Yes, this is possible. 

You need to return the rover to the mothership that landed. When they get close to each other, the science reports data will become "Combined" is the word at the top of the science report list. 

...

Just to be clear, this happens even if the two ships don't dock?  You can just rendez-vous them close together and the science data can hop over to the mothership?

EDIT:
Quick test on Minmus shows that this is not the case.   Unless I'm doing something wrong, it seems like it's impossible to transfer science when they're not docked with one another.  Thats damned annoying, it means every science mission now needs a docking port.

Edited January 1 by PTNLemay

[kdaviper]

On 1/1/2024 at 10:48 AM, PTNLemay said:

Just to be clear, this happens even if the two ships don't dock?  You can just rendez-vous them close together and the science data can hop over to the mothership?

EDIT:
Quick test on Minmus shows that this is not the case.   Unless I'm doing something wrong, it seems like it's impossible to transfer science when they're not docked with one another.  Thats damned annoying, it means every science mission now needs a docking port.

Or leave a kerbal Eva from one to another

[Kerbart]

On 12/25/2023 at 1:23 PM, fragtzack said:

You need to return the rover to the mothership that landed. When they get close to each other, the science reports data will become "Combined" is the word at the top of the science report list. Then you can fly the mothership back to Kerbin and leave the Rover on Duna.

Does it has to be the ship the rover originated from or can you use another probe to return the sample?

[Superfluous J]

44 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

Does it has to be the ship the rover originated from or can you use another probe to return the sample?

Any ship works.

Docking combines all science from all ships (probe cores and command pods I believe) to all ships.

[PTNLemay]

On 1/11/2024 at 12:09 PM, kdaviper said:

Or leave a kerbal Eva from one to another

This only works if the spacecrafts are carrying Kerbals.  For unmanned sample returns, docking is the only way

[kdaviper]

1 hour ago, PTNLemay said:

This only works if the spacecrafts are carrying Kerbals.  For unmanned sample returns, docking is the only way

Yeah it would be nice to be able to grab it from a probe core or something

[magnemoe]

On 1/13/2024 at 5:52 PM, PTNLemay said:

This only works if the spacecrafts are carrying Kerbals.  For unmanned sample returns, docking is the only way

Saw one video about one player who recovered an probe from around Jool with a cargo bay who was an insane mission. 
I say it would be much simpler to repeat the experiments on a probe capable to return.  
He did not find a way for an kerbal to grab the science, with an rover seat kerbal became part of craft and get the science.