Navigation marks
The survey target areas are shown via navigational target marks (or shortly navigation marks) in the Tracking Station's menu, in the map view and on the navball when a survey mission was accepted. These marks show the type of the experience required by the contract too. There are some other type of missions using this marking system too.[specify] The proper use of this navigational aid system can help accomplish the survey missions with guiding to the targeted location.
As a new mission using the navigational marking system, like a survey, gets available in the Mission Control, the areas which need to be surveyed, or the orbit of delivering satellite for the mission will be shown in the Tracking Station menu. Each (potential) contract has a different color. There is no filter to turn them off. Accepting the contract makes the marks visible in the map view too.
In case of survey missions, selecting one of the marks opens a short check window, clicking on the Activate Navigation activates the navigation system and targets the chosen location. The deactivation of the chosen target goes on same way. There is only one location can be targeted in the same time, naturally.
As the target is activated, the mark appears on the navball too. The mark is pointing directly towards the targeted area. This means the mark can be under the artificial horizon even it is on higher altitude when it's below the horizon. Because of this, the navigation from a greater distance is difficult using the navball exclusively. The mark on the navball inherits the contract-dependent color, which is sometimes hardly visible on the navball. Although the navball doesn't indicate the exact altitude of the target, it can be read on the Contracts bar.
The given mark disappears as the experience is done, or its contract is deleted or expires.
Marks
As the different colors mean different contracts, the different graphics mean a different type of report:
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: Crew Report -
: EVA Report -
: Surface Sample -
: Temperature Scan -
: Atmospheric Pressure Scan -
: Seismic Scan -
: Gravity Scan -
: Atmosphere Analysis
These marks don't show any kind of operation in the targeted area, and cannot be selected, but helps the navigation in case of some mission, for example delivering a craft of the scripted orbit:
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