Question about samples

[Tassyr]

So I hear they put in samples. Which is great. But I tend to make apollo style landers- meaning it's two stage. Can I transfer samples to the 'return' pod easily, or do I have to start using one stage return craft?

(Sadly I'm not at a point where I can readily test this. >.< )

Edited October 17, 2013 by Tassyr

[capi3101]

Quoth the wiki: "Surface samples can be taken by kerbonauts when performing an EVA on the ground (or in the oceans) of a celestial bodies. The results vary by biome."

Translation - if your landers are manned, you should be golden.

Only help I can offer. Sorry.

[Tassyr]

See that part I get. The thing is I tend to use a 'return' craft and leave the lander in orbit as debris... I need to know if I can transfer samples. XD Thanks for the help with that bit, though!

[capi3101]

Ah - sorry. "Apollo-style", I understand.

Yeah, can't help you. I'll hush now.

[Crush]

No, samples are bound to the command pod where the kerbonaut delivered them. That means when you end your sampling-EVAs in a command pod which you don't bring back to Kerbin in one piece, the samples are lost. You will also not receive the science bonus for recovering a craft "returning from the surface of Mun" and only the "returning from orbit of Mun" bonus from the command module.

But note that by repeatedly taking samples and transmitting them home you can get exactly the same amount of science per sampled biome.

[DrCeph]

What Crush said.

Consider adapting your lander to have solar, radio and a few batteries and you should be sorted. It does mean you will have to take a greater number of samples, but on the plus side you don't lose it all in a botched takeoff or landing

[Vosper]

I tried this on Kerbin after being burned with the 3 man pod during a mission.

A 1 man pod + a 1 man command pod.

I can see no way to transfer samples, between two pods.

This is added the issue where a 1 man pod can store 1 sample and a 3 man pod can store 1 sample.. so lets all stick 3 1 man pods on a rocket... (as was seen during experimental streams)

[inzainia]

if ive read things right tho, there is no reason to have more than one sample slot. i could be wrong, but taking 3 command pods, to get 3 different sample types, would be the same thing as sending multiple samples, home, via one pod, via transmittion. lets say, a science sample gives 10 science, for a return delivery. if you transmit it, you get 20% of that science(saying the bottom in blue says 20% for example) well, if you do that sample collection, and transmition 5 times, youll get the full 100% = 10 science points, the whole diminishing returns, is based on a MAXIMUM science available from a specific task. so i plan to test this myself, and you should too, head to the launchpad, do a ground sample, with a solar panel, and some batteries, transmit it back,rinse repeat until you have sent enough to get approximately 100% (note you will probably never get it to 100% as it seems to work on a linear curve) but you can get it to 98-99% im sure, imll do this and keep track of how much science you should get, and ill be certain then, but again everything ive read has lead me to this conclusion.

[DrCeph]

This is added the issue where a 1 man pod can store 1 sample and a 3 man pod can store 1 sample.. so lets all stick 3 1 man pods on a rocket... (as was seen during experimental streams)

That's a great point, I hadn't thought about this. One would expect the larger lander would store more samples. It would definitely make a larger science exploration team worth the investment.

I think this would need to be additional to some sort of added bonus for returning physical samples - the current consensus seems to be that the amount of science returned by transmission matches recovered samples, eventually. A one-off 'bonus' to sample recovery would be sufficient I feel.

[Tassyr]

well crud. I guess I can't do apollo style landers. Man, and I was so proud of them. XD

Maybe I can start using my 'command' stage as a bulk fuel canister for returning craft, then.