Ideas for research and space stations

[Szkeptik]

I've been playing 0.22 for a while now and I'd like to give some ideas about research and space stations that I came up with.

Research should take time: Probably others have suggested this before so I'll be quick. Lower tier research should take a few seconds to minutes, high level research could take weeks or months.

Use for Space Stations in research: Right now there's not much. Repeating experiments in the same place will quickly deteriorate the science yield, and everything can be made with a small ship that can then return the data to Kerbin, while a station can only transmit it and lose a big fraction of science in the process. I have several suggestions to correct this:

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Life support

: Suggested many times before, but in this instance I invoke it to make space stations a viable alternative in research. A simple pod would only have enough life support for a few days. You can easily do a Mun landing and return in that time. A small life support part could be added to increase this by a few more days. But if you wanted to remain in orbit for months or years, you would need large life support nodes that would be unfeasable on a small craft. Now we go back to my first point: High level experiments can take months to finish. Now you got something that needs a space station to do. You can't just do that in a small pod.

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Ongoing experiments

: Another type of experiment. It doesn't have a fixed duration with a science reward at the end, rather once started it continues indefinately. It will have a fixed daily science yield. For example: As long as the experiment goes on, you receive 4 science / day. Some kind of supply could be added that would be used up as the experiment goes on. If you wanted to keep going you would have to refill this scientific supply from time to time.

Probes: They should only be able to do the simplest experiments, since they would be exempt from any life support system and capable of functioning indefinitely.

[UbioZur]

Research should take time: Probably others have suggested this before

And you are right a quick science+time research will give you plenty of answer

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54573-Science-points-for-duration-of-mission?highlight=time+science

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/53459-Any-longitudinal-science-missions-Requiring-length-of-stay-in-space?highlight=time+science

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54091-Extended-Science-Objectives-for-Stations-Long-Distance-Missions?highlight=time+science

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54786-Long-term-science-megaprojects-for-space-stations-and-or-probes?highlight=time+science

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54216-Experiments-should-take-time?highlight=time+science

Also Life support is on the What not to suggest list.