Active Sensors/Ballistic control units

[drmzsz7 (OP)]

So I have a question in regards to how active and missile firing controls work. Do the missile ships themselves need independent active sensors, or do they recieve targeting solutions from allies?

[papent]

active sensors are required to locate a target, active sensors can be located on the firing ship or a different ship all together.
missile fire controls are required to fire at a target, fire controls must be located on the firing ship.

As I understand unless you're missile design has integral sensors you have to keep the target painted by active sensors and in range of the fire control until the interception.
hope that helps.

[drmzsz7 (OP)]

Thanks that was indeed helpful, I have a question in regards now to geo survey buoys/probes. If a geo-probe has a range of say 4bil km does it "die" when it reaches its target asteroid or does it just float on site doing its job. Also in regards to buoys, I assume a missile firing control is required but seeing as it has no range per say the worst MFC in all history can be designed to achieve the "drop" of the buoy. The wiki doesn't offer much in the way of info in regards to buoy's, just a brief tutorial on how to design them.

[NihilRex]

Targeting waypoints can be done with any MFC, regardless of range.

Missiles live until the endurance runs out.  Buoys live forever.

[drmzsz7 (OP)]

so I have to design a 2 stage missile, 1 containing the fuel and the second containing the buoy, to make it a fire and forget job.

[DuraniumCowboy]

Or you can make the buoy 1 stage, and then just move to the body, fire off the buoys at the body and then move on.

[andyr91]

It isn't necessary to make a two stage design for geo-probes.  I recently began using probes with an engine, fuel and geo sensors and they remain at the target body after the fuel/endurance timer runs out.  They automatically disappear once the target body is surveyed, which can take a very long time depending on the body.