Could anyone point me to some info about using missiles to geosurvey planets? I've messed with economic stuff for a while but I don't know the first thing about, say, launching an interplanetary ballistic missile with a survey sensor on the end.
This is a conventional start with multiple missile silos, I was planning on launching from an ICBM silo if that matters.
ICBM has a miniscule range, they're meant for missiles that don't leave atmosphere.
While true for using them to launch missiles to attack ships, the initial missile bases are perfectly capable of being used to launch missiles to deploy sensors at remote locations.
Geo-missiles are difficult if not impossible. The trouble is that the missile needs enough lifespan to complete a survey, and that's very expensive. Grav-missiles are more likely, since you only need to get them near a fixed location in space, and buoys can do that - or whatever the new missile system gives you as a buoy, I haven't looked.
Lifespan is no longer a problem since the new missile system was introduced. From
this post, Missiles that have sensors will now remain on the map forever, with two exceptions:
a) If a missile has geo sensors and no other type of sensor, it will self-destruct when the geosurvey of its target planet is completed.
b) If a missile has a warhead, it will self-destruct when its fuel runs out.
This is my usual process if I want to get geosurveying underway as soon as possible from a conventional start. The following assumes you have only researched "Trans-Newtonian Technology", "Pressurised Water Reactor" and "Geological Survey Sensors" techs. If you already have higher techs use them as appropriate.
First of all design a missile engine at maximum size and x1.00 power modifier.
Put 10 msp into geo sensor, 0.2 reactor will be added automatically to power it. 1.4 msp into fuel will give you the range to reach Neptune, though it will take 1.6 years to get there. Jupiter and Saturn only take a few months to reach.
This results in,
Size 16.6 Geosurvey Probe Mk I
Missile Size: 16.6 MSP (0.83 HS) Warhead: 0 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 100 km/s Engine Endurance: 14,000.0 hours Range: 5,040.0m km
Geo Sensor Strength: 0.1 Maximum points: 1400
Cost Per Missile: 2.5725
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 1% 3k km/s 0% 5k km/s 0.2% 10k km/s 0.1%
Materials Required: 0.06x Boronide 2.5x Uridium 0.0125x Gallicite Fuel x3500
Development Cost for Project: 257RP
To launch, we first need a target. on the system view screen, click on the body you want to survey(you may need to zoom in to get it clearly), open the waypoints tab on the left and click "Last". This puts a waypoint on the body that will orbit with it.
Open the individual ship details screen, load the probe onto one of the missile bases and assign it to a launcher(make sure there are no missiles assigned to the other launchers). Assign the firecontrol to the launcher, assign the waypoint as the target of the firecontrol and click open fire to launch.