'Space Stations and Science' or 'New Resource for Science'

[thox]

Under the current circumstances in carrer mode space stations don't make much sense for science, because an experiment done in the same orbit repeatedly will get you close to no science points very soon. That's especially a problem as the number of different experiments is limited to the number of parts capable of doing them.

So what I am suggesting is adding something like "Science Material" as a resource, with one unit of it standing for one never-done-before experiment (which you get full points for), and one new (maybe 2m diameter) science laboratory which needs to be manned and in orbit to do experiments. That lab might be part of a space station, and when all the material is used no experiments could be done until new material is brought up to the station and transferred to the lab via docking ports. Of course science material should be quite heavy per unit and the experiments should only give you few points, so this method of gaining science points won't be overpowered, but it would give you the possibility of gaining constant science points (since every experiment counts with full points) if you have a station and regularly bring material up there.

[mdosogne]

In another thread, I suggested that some return samples should be fragile; i.e. excessive Gs would ruin the sample. That would a) reduce science value of a crash landing, and give reason for launching an orbital station with scientific analysis modules, where samples can be analyzed in zero G. Analysis should take time and power, and benefit from "smart" kerbals.

[Yuri Kargarin]

I second every single word of this just for the hopes of seeing a kerbal version of the tardigrade(water bear) to be able to be put in vaccum then recollected