Replace satelite with return capsule in rocket

[mrvn]

For a rocket to return science it has to have a satelite on board or so I read. Reason given was to beam back the science results. Which sounds very thin to me.

Why not replace the satelite with a return capsule? The capsule could even have it's own landing sequence that plays some short time after the rocket start. Would make a lot more sense to have a capsule physically return space science. Think of all the cool materials in science fiction that can only be produced in zero gravity.

Note: The first rocket(s) could have a different payload to build a zero gravity factory in orbit.

[Lav]

For bonus points, make the returning capsule an actual game object, essentially a one-time-use provider chest, which may fall pretty much anywhere (including the center of a major alien hive).

Though with another research (which requires space science) player can build a landing beacon, which will guide the landing capsules into a predefined area, so after the first launch or two he will be able to automate the science packs recovery.

[Tekky]

I quite like this idea.

[cpy]

I thought it worked like that?

[Slayn25]

I'm fine with the concept of space science being data beamed back to the surface rather than a physical entity that requires transportation back to the surface.

Two alternatives come to mind:
1) Space science is deposited straight into science labs
2) Add a satellite uplink building that outputs the space science packs instead of the rocket silos. The satellite uplink could also enable the ability to zoom-to-map for areas that aren't radar covered. (Pretty much the mod but also outputs space science)

[leoch]

What kind of science does one do in space, anyway? Run fun experiments in zero-g? Take cool pictures of distant stars with a giant telescope? Send probes to nearby planets to check what they're like?

Oh, sorry, it's not like any of the other "science" stuff makes any sense anyway

[Roxor128]

I'm fine with the concept of space science being data beamed back to the surface rather than a physical entity that requires transportation back to the surface.

Two alternatives come to mind:
1) Space science is deposited straight into science labs
2) Add a satellite uplink building that outputs the space science packs instead of the rocket silos. The satellite uplink could also enable the ability to zoom-to-map for areas that aren't radar covered. (Pretty much the mod but also outputs space science)

Big fan of #2 here. Also a fan of the whole return-capsule idea, too. That has a lot of modding potential.

The latest version of #2 I've had is that of needing to make hard drives to load the data from the satellites onto. Pop a freshly-made blank hard drive into the Uplink Station and 30 seconds later, out pops a filled drive which can then be used as an ingredient for the Space Science Pack.