Satelites in Career mode

[WeirdCulture]

Hi fellow Kerbals,

I just wondering, about satelites in orbit in careermode at the moment... they seem to be useless. I can't generate any science from them.

Is there any purpose for them?

[kurja]

To generate science they need to carry experiments, like a thermometer or goo container, plus an antenna so you can transmit the results. And a probe core and lots of electricity.

How have you been doing it, if you haven't gotten any science done with them?

[Wampa842]

Without mods that require them, yes, they're pretty useless after you had repeated the same tests over and over again and don't produce any more science.

There are some mods, however, that require you to have multiple satellites in orbit. Those are like the ISA Map-sat plugin, Kethane, and I know there's a plugin with which you need a satellite link to KSC in order to control unmanned crafts.

[Vanamonde]

Take a probe core, stick some solar panels and science instruments on it, and throw it out there without provision for return. Gobs of science points to be had.

[Mokmo]

Without mods that require them, yes, they're pretty useless after you had repeated the same tests over and over again and don't produce any more science.

There are some mods, however, that require you to have multiple satellites in orbit. Those are like the ISA Map-sat plugin, Kethane, and I know there's a plugin with which you need a satellite link to KSC in order to control unmanned crafts.

Remote Tech isthe last one, but the version is deprecated for 0.22 and there's a new one in the making by its new guy in charge. The old one had a control delay but this one will probably not, just needsto have the signal. And also needs the signal to beam back science to Kerbin.

[Franklin]

Granted, having anything left in LKO will render it useless once you've exhausted the 7 science parts in that location (odd classification given before career mode they couldn't even do this), but that said, there are 7 science parts, and 17 locations (lower atmosphere, near space, outer space, etc.) they can each be exhausted in, and 27 biomes (Kerbin tundra, Kerbin desert, Mun craters, etc.), giving you a lot of use with firing off satellites to all these different locations. And satellites are lighter and less valuable than firing off heavy/finicky Kerbals everywhere. You can get a satellite loaded with science parts up into space with little effort.

[sgt_flyer]

a single unmanned probe i sent brought me back more than 600 science (and i divided by 2 in the config files the science i get and the max science i can have on each location) - simply by spamming the experiments and transmitting them down to a 0 reward by sligshotting around mün, then minmus, and then out of kerbin's influence - and that with only too experiments, goo and science container (missed out a few near mün, as i passed on the dark side, my batteries did not have enough juice to transmit this many experiments )