Difference between revisions of "M700 Survey Scanner"

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M700 Survey Scanner
Scanner by Experimental Engineering Group
Radial size		Small, Radial mounted
Cost	(total)	1 500.00
Mass	(total)	0.200 t
Drag		0.2
Max. Temp.		2000 K
Impact Tolerance		7 m/s
Research		Scanning Tech
Unlock cost		4 500
Since version		1.0
Part configuration		SurveyScanner.cfg
Mode		Orbital
Resource		All
Scanning time		5 s
Science bonus		10
Min. Altitude		25 000 m [1]
Max. Altitude		1 500 000 m [2]
Packed volume		None
↑ unless body radius / 10 is bigger ↑ unless body radius * 5 is smaller

The M700 Survey Scanner is an orbital low resolution resource scanner. It is used to map broad areas of resource concentration on a celestial body. It is the first step in finding locations which are rich in resources, for subsequent extraction. It provides a low detail overview of the entire celestial body, which can then be used to target specific areas for further detailed scanning with high resolution scanners (which can only scan a small area, not an entire celestial body).

Product description

Usage

as it deployed for operation...

The scanner works well on a small 1.25m satellite, but generate a large amount of data when activated, so a Z-1k battery, or equivalent, is recommended to store enough electricity for transmission, but is not required if the antenna have "require complete" toggled. It is not particularly heavy, so a FL-T200 fuel tank and LV-909 engine are quite adequate for the final stage, providing the necessary power to establish and adjust the orbit, either from LKO to Mun and Minmus, or entry from solar orbit to another system. An antenna is required to upload the data back to KSC, and any antenna will suffice. Transmitting a resource scan back to Kerbin counts as a science broadcast in terms of "world's firsts" (that is, if you perform a resource scan before transmitting any other science data, you will receive a "We have transmitted our first science from _" accomplishment.)

Launching should probably make use of a payload fairing or cargo bay, as the scanner is large and not a good aerodynamic shape, so is likely to cause atmospheric control issues when placed on top of a rocket. The scanner requires a stable polar orbit at an appropriate altitude (see below). Once established in orbit, it must first be opened (Deploy Scanner), then the scan can be performed (Perform orbital survey). The scan is a once per body operation, and only takes a few seconds, but the amount (of data) is fairly substantial. The scan result can be viewed in map mode (default M key) while controlling the scanner satellite, or from the KSC Tracking Station. To view the results in map mode, right-click on the scanner while it is deployed and select Toggle Overlay. To view the results from the Tracking Station, select the orbital body and then click on the Resources icon on the right hand side of the window. The deployed scanner can be retracted by clicking on the Retract Scanner option.

There are options to change the data presentation. You can modify the display cutoff value (the higher the value, the richer the deposit) and the results' color and style. You cannot change these parameters from map mode. Retracting the scanner will hide the results until the scanner is re-deployed and the overlay is toggled again.

The Mun in false color after completing an orbital survey

After using this scanner, it is possible to start resource extraction based on its results alone, but the best results will be achieved by using the scan results as the basis for performing detailed, targeted scans with the high resolution scanners:

• Surface Scanning Module
• M4435 Narrow-Band Scanner

You don't need to orbit the body with a M700 scanner anymore after an orbital scan. You can either destroy it or send it to another body if you have enough fuel left. The ore information will stil be available in the map view (sliced planet icon).

Scanning requirements

The scanner can only perform an orbital survey if it is in a stable polar orbit at medium altitude. It means the inclination must be between 80° and 100°.

As for the altitude, the minimum and maximum scanning altitudes are based on the radius of the body it is scanning:

• The minimum altitude is one-tenth of the body radius or 25 km, whichever is higher.
• The maximum altitude is five times the body radius or 1.5 Mm, whichever is lower.

Delta v required for 90° plane change

For the M700 Survey Scanner to function it must be placed in a polar orbit, that is, an orbit with an inclination of 90° passing over both north and south poles. On Kerbin it is possible to launch your rocket into the 90° plane. For other bodies, you can use a mid-course correction to move your closest approach to one of the poles, then perform insertion burn there.

If you are starting in an equatorial orbit, you will need to adjust your inclination to 90° after you have arrived. It takes more energy to perform plane change maneuvers at low altitudes due to the increased orbital velocity. Additionally, eccentric orbits have a much lower orbital velocity at apoapsis than circular orbits of the same altitude. The following table shows the maximum potential delta v requirements to make the 90° turn at the minimum and maximum operational altitudes for the M700. The last column shows the maximum potential delta v requirements if the turn is made at apoapsis while in an eccentric orbit bounded by the minimum and maximum required altitudes.

Electricity and time required

Each body generates a certain amount of data when scanned, measured in Mits. The data size correlates with the size of the body; Jool produces the most—1200 Mits—and Gilly the least—just 3 Mits. Roughly, the amount of data required for a survey is .205 mits per radial kilometer.

As with transmitting science, more data requires more time and electricity to transmit, and different antennas have different speeds and efficiencies. Also like transmitting science, only one antenna is used at a time, so there is no stacking bonus possible.

The following tables list the size of the scan data for each body, and the time and electricity required to transmit that data with a given antenna.^[1]

Changes

1.0

• Initial release

References