Alternate ways to 'recover' experiments?

[Lheim]

One of the things I usually do is to create a nuclear tug stage and lander that are reusable. When they're returned to Kerbin they get refueled in orbit and sent back out; it never does return to Kerbin's surface. I think it's not such a rare strategy.

That said.. it strikes me as a difficult strategy to execute when getting maximum science back depends upon landing the experiments back at Kerbin. You'd have to at least keep replacing your lander module .

So as a possible solution to this idea of reusable spacecraft, I suggest we make space stations a useful thing by making a large heavy science bay that can 'recover' data the same way as if it were landed. That, or create a way to transfer data from craft to craft - so crew shuttles could ferry results back to the surface.

[Person012345]

One of the things I usually do is to create a nuclear tug stage and lander that are reusable. When they're returned to Kerbin they get refueled in orbit and sent back out; it never does return to Kerbin's surface. I think it's not such a rare strategy.

That said.. it strikes me as a difficult strategy to execute when getting maximum science back depends upon landing the experiments back at Kerbin. You'd have to at least keep replacing your lander module .

So as a possible solution to this idea of reusable spacecraft, I suggest we make space stations a useful thing by making a large heavy science bay that can 'recover' data the same way as if it were landed. That, or create a way to transfer data from craft to craft - so crew shuttles could ferry results back to the surface.

Instead of having your pod attached to a decoupler, or direct to the vessel you could have the pod attached using docking ports. Then give it it's own minimal propulsion system just to de-orbit it. Recover. Send a new one up and dock it to the lander, and it's good to go.

Of course I have no idea if this is feasible for your design I just thought it might be kind of cool to do - have a replaceable command pod so that you can recover it and just launch up a new pod with new crew when you want to make a new mission using it. Though it's unlikely that you will actually -need- maximum science output. If you want to do it for efficiency though.

[pizzaoverhead]

It should be made possible to move small experiments about on a crewed craft. I know KAS allows detaching and moving instruments. On real craft, sample recovery capsules are often used; just a heatshield and parachute. As Person012345 says, you could easily keep these on board your tug, with a little RCS for docking, and resupply the tug with more of them while delivering fuel.

For inspiration, here's a real-life example of multiple return capsules containing film for a camera:

[boomerdog2000]

I suggested somewhere else that for a 2.5m science part, you could have a laboratory that could return data for full value. The idea being onboard that laboratory they have the equipment to fully analyze whatever data you have and transmit their results back to Kerbin.

You put this part on a space station, dock your science vessel to it. They analyze your data and transmit its full value.

[klappertjes]

Or you just build a spaceship with that part, thus defeating the entire purpose of the "return to Kerbin" rule. Sounds like it'd break the game pretty badly.

Possible solution is that you need to be in Kerbin orbit for the lab to work maybe?

[boomerdog2000]

The lab would obviously be expensive, heavy, require lots of power and be further down the tech tree. This way once you manage to start sampling the Jool system if you take this part with you on the mothership you won't have to try and land it back on Kerbin. It's a late game technology, designed to aid interplanetary sciencing.