Data storage question.

[Vaporized Steel]

Lately I've been trying to create vehicles in the VAB and SPH for manned eve missions. I have build bases for long duration missions and science and laboratory lander bases to get science from eves surface back to kerbin. I also created a 3 seater eve return vehicle that works and can theoratically under errorless piloting takeoff from 3000m+. But is however used on several 4000m+ areas on eve for delta V safety margin. A 3 seat ion glider that has already proven to operate at 10km altitude with 11500 delta V is to get the crew from the base to the nearest escape pod and can cover about 100km.

The problem I'm having is the escape vehicle that gets the kerbalnauts back to eve orbit where a kerbin return vehicle will be stationed. I want to harvest the science on eves surface but one kerbal can only hold one experiment so that's 3 experiments for each kerbal and you cannot store experiments in a probe core module.

Is there a mod that adds a lightweight container where you can store this data (possibly up to 20+ experiments)

One that is hopefully not to heavy.

I really want a 3 kerbals return vehicle because you need 3 kerbals to operate the laboratory and I don't want to create 3 rockets for each kerbal and everybody deserves to get back home. Now I already know it's quite feasible to create a 3x landing can ascent module. I have even seen people get off eve with 3 landing cans from sea level. But I don't want to redesign everything that has so far costed me nearly a week to assemble. I also want to refrain from using 3 landing cans but use seats instead because I wanted my eve escape vehicle to be as compact and lightweight so it could fit into a gargantuant procedural fairing without the rocket looking all screwed up. At the moment the ascent vehicle looks good and is at a decent size and I don't want to add extra tons of fuel to it for supporting the weight of these landing cans.

Suggestions...??

Edited January 19, 2015 by Vaporized Steel

[tomf]

If you aren't averse to mods you could look at http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/54370-Radially-Attached-Experimental-Data-Storage-Container

It is a part that just functions as a container for science results.

[Anquietas314]

The problem I'm having is the escape vehicle that gets the kerbalnauts back to eve orbit where a kerbin return vehicle will be stationed. I want to harvest the science on eves surface but one kerbal can only hold one experiment so that's 3 experiments for each kerbal and you cannot store experiments in a probe core module.

Actually, they can hold one of each (experiment + biome + situation) combination, so you can have, for example, one "temperature scan while landed at Kerbin's shores" and a "temperature scan while splashed down at Kerbin's shores" (different situation), and a "temperature scan while flying over Kerbin's grasslands", all at the same time. But you can't have two copies of "temperature scan while landed at Kerbin's shores" at the same time.

AFAIK the limit is also based on capsules and not individual kerbals - you can hold multiple copies of an experiment while on EVA, unless they're EVA reports/surface samples you conducted while on that particular EVA. If you really need multiple copies of experiments, either bring multiple capsules and store each copy in a different capsule, or bring a science lab which can store as many experiments from the same place as you like.

EDIT: Or use the science storage mod, that works too.

Edited January 19, 2015 by armagheddonsgw

[NASAHireMe]

One work-around is a cage built around your Kerbals. As the previous poster noted, Kerbals on EVA can hold unlimited pieces of data. There's no need (except for realism's sake) that your Kerbal be INSIDE the capsule when the rocket takes off from Eve. He could hold onto a ladder outside the capsule all the way from lift-off to orbit. To make sure he doesn't fall off, you can build a cage using cheap and light structural parts that will literally corral him to the outside of the spacecraft.

It's kinda cheaty, I know. I once had to do this on accident, when I placed a light in the middle of a ladder so the Kerbal was stuck below the light. He rode that ladder all the way to Tylo orbit