[0.17.79] [not a bug] No Space science when (loading junk into payload)

[bodhisnarkva]

I have my rocket silo loaded up with 4x [Productivity Module 3], I'm launching more than every hour, great. _But_ (seen this twice now) if the last rocket part happens because of a productivity bonus (the yellow bar gets to the end before the green bar) then the rocket launches with the green bar somewhere in the middle and it consumes the satellite but no space science is returned. Then the green bar finishes and the new rocket ticks up to 1/100
[0.17.79 vanilla]

SOLUTION use only filter inserters into the Rocket Silo. Junk was being loaded into the payload slot and causing no-science launches.

[bodhisnarkva]

OR, is this just something that happens late in the game? I switched to 4 [Efficiency Module 1] and it still skipped. Looks like it's skipping every other launch?

[eradicator]

Just to be sure: did you take all science packs out of the silo before testing? If the stack is already full then new packs will be wasted.

[planetmaker]

If you have a (your) savegame which shows this behaviour, it would be nice. Maybe there is an autosave from right before it launches w/o giving you science?

[bodhisnarkva]

update: I deconstructed and reconstructed the rocket silo (to reset the productivity bar) and filled it with efficiency modules. I think it skipped one (what? did I imagine that) but then has had 10 in a row with proper science returns. Derp. Heisenbug gets weirder, but maybe the original theory is still maybe sometimes correct?
Unloading: yes, there's a fully upgraded stack inserter (12) pulling science from the silo to a box, so it's always unloaded within a few seconds of launch. (From there to conveyors to labs, and the space science is always fully consumed before the next launch.)

[DaveMcW]

Make sure you are using filter inserters on the rocket silo. It will accept any item (except rocket part ingredients) in the satellite slot.

[Loewchen]

I was not able to reproduce this, if OP or anyone else can, post a simple save to do so please.

[bodhisnarkva]

DaveMcW's observation is interesting! I can't see what gets loaded because "auto launch with cargo" is on. I assumed it was working normally because the satellite does get consumed and there's only one cargo slot on the rocket. I do have a line with other stuff on it and a fast inserter pointing at the rocket silo.
Everywhere else inserters know what a thing can receive. It would be nice if I couldn't launch useless stuff into space accidentally. Sometimes I want the player to climb aboard and launch out of there though.

[bodhisnarkva]

DaveMcW for the win! Switched to all filter inserters into the Rocket Silo and it ran over night with no problems.