High Altitude Flight Science Experiment Completion Error

[DeepSeaFission]

When trying to get all of the scientific data for the High Altitude Flight experiment in version v3.13.0.0, I flew my third (and anticipated final) flight while running the experiment. The flight scene during flight indicated both via the cockpit part and the RP-1 science archive that all remaining data was "in-flight." After landing, I recovered the flight and was surprised to see the RP-1 science window indicate that I had around 90% of the science value in R&D, 0 in flight, and 10% not found.

I built and flew a fourth craft, again verifying with the cockpit and science archive that all remaining data was "in flight". Upon recovery, the RP-1 science archive indicated again that not all had been recovered. The science archive indicated 9.4 points were in the RnD, 0 points were in flight, and 0.2 points were outstanding. I flew a fifth craft, taking the following screenshots.

This screenshot shows my craft in flight with the science archive and cockpit windows open. The archive indicates 9.4 points are in RnD, 0.2 points are in flight, and -- points are outstanding. The X-15 inline cockpit part indicates the High Altitude Flight experiment is running, and that 9.6/9.6 data has been recorded.

This is a screenshot from later in the flight. I observed that after I deployed chutes and was approaching the ground, the science archive suddenly updated to indicate 9.4 points in RnD, 0.1 in flight, and 0.1 outstanding. This was shortly prior to touching down. The flight scene was not left at any point, the craft was loaded for the duration of the test.

I sent up one additional flight to get the final 0.1 points and it seems to have finally completed the science. I don't think this is intentional, though I do wonder if there was some sort of decay if the player doesn't land fast enough, or if points are lost when not landing on an airstrip. But it feels more like the reductions experienced in the base game for recovering craft that have gone to space or celestial bodies, where multiple recoveries are required and the points for doing so decay exponentially.

Hope this is sufficiently detailed

Tangential side beg: please let the spaceplane cockpits do cockpit science. The temperature rating for the X-15 is annoyingly low for some of the science mode and creative mode things I've been trying lately.

[siimav]

Sorry, no idea what's going on. Isn't that particular experiment supposed to yield 16 science in the first place?

[DeepSeaFission]

Actually, yes. The raws (RP-1-3.13.0.0.zip\RP-1-3.13.0.0\GameData\RP-1\Science\Experiments\CrewScience CockpitExperiments.cfg) say it should have a value of 16... this is a relatively new playthrough, started in v.3.12. I'm not sure what happened here. If it can't be reproduced by anyone else, I'd say chalk it up to a bad install on my part somehow.

[kretze]

I have identified the High Altitude Value Problem. In the BodyScienceParams.cfg file in Kerbin the factor for %flyingHighDataValue = 0.6.

GameData\RP-1\Science\BodyScienceParams.cfg

    @Body[Kerbin] // later renamed Earth, starts named Kerbin in the cfg.
{
    @Properties
    {
        %ScienceValues
        {
            %flyingAltitudeThreshold = 40000
            %spaceAltitudeThreshold = 35786000

            %landedDataValue = 1
            %splashedDataValue = 1
            %flyingLowDataValue = 1
            %flyingHighDataValue = 0.6
            %inSpaceLowDataValue = 1
            %inSpaceHighDataValue = 1.25
            %recoveryValue = 1.0

        }
    }
}

This matches the data from my save game exactly. (sbv = 0.6) 16 * 0,6 = 9,6

    Science
    {
        id = RP0SupersonicHigh1@EarthFlyingHigh
        title = High altitude flight from of an Earth upper atmosphere
        dsc = 0.00124999997
        scv = 0.59553951
        sbv = 0.600000024
        sci = 3.88282084
        asc = True
        cap = 9.60000038
    }

But I have no idea if that has anything to do with the problem completing the experiment. I currently still have 5.7 science points open. I'll let you know when I've finished it.

---

It's exactly the same with the mass spectrometer. So the value must have something to do with the %flyingHighDataValue.

id = RP0massSpec1@EarthFlyingHigh
sbv = 0.600000024

[kretze]

I was able to complete high altitude science without any problem. I did it with 5 or 6 X-15 flights.

[kretze]

@DeepSeaFission I think I can now imagine what kind of problem you encountered. It may be that during a previous flight some data from high altitude flight science was merged into one other Science or Avionics Core remained and was therefore not recovered?

I had something like that myself with a basic film camera. Couldn't complete 0.3 because this was in orbit in the old rocket have remained behind. As long as collected Science Points remain in a vessel (in-flight), you cannot complete these points with another vessel.

You have to destroy the corresponding vessel or dump the data left behind.

[DeepSeaFission]

@kretze I'm aware, and that wasn't the case. The only craft, including debris, that were in flight simultaneously lacked cockpits or the high altitude flight experiment. Besides, if that had been the case, I wouldn't have been able to eventually complete it without finding the confounding craft.

If you can't replicate it, I think the most likely culprit is that I've just got something messed up with my install between RSS Reborn and a bunch of other mods. Thank you for looking into it, I might start a creative playthrough and see if it happens again just to confirm that it wasn't some one-off weirdness.