I think everybody is trying to work towards setting up a lab, which means industrializing a science site and bringing your Bernal there.
Labs gate some of the cooler hardware, and VP goals.
But to get a lab you either need a good setup (like @JoshL had) to maximize your chances to get a comet, or you need to gear up so your rocket is more efficient.
Myself, I industrialized Vesta to use it as a stepping stone towards my next goal (I have several cards I can build there to get an efficient enough rocket). I also like minimizing chance, so that’s another reason I went for a big site (automatic prospect).