[0.90] SAS without a Pilot

[KingPhantom]

hi there

i was some time away from the game. but played shortly after the "beta then ever" release and now startet again.

i've really problems with the new kerbal-specifications... when i don't have a pilot in my craft i cant use his skills. thats correct for me. but when i use a probe and a SAS module it should be able to activate it like in the versions before. now my probes are unstable during the voyage... also when i add 1000 SAS modules... that's not correct to me. when i add SAS it should also be able to activate SAS in probes... (i only get the message, that it's not avaiable in my craft...)

can someone help me or explain that? is that a bug?

thx!

Edited March 31, 2015 by KingPhantom

[Superfluous J]

There is no such thing as a standalone SAS module (anymore. There used to be but that was years ago). You have probes, most of which have an SAS module, and you have reaction wheels, which are what used to be called SAS modules. These reaction wheel pieces have as much to do with SAS as RCS jets do. i.e., they don't give you the ability to use SAS, but if you have it SAS can use them to keep aligned.

A small probe should get by with its own SAS module and its own reaction wheels if it has them. If not, the single smallest reaction wheel should more than suffice. Larger things need more.

No ship you could ever build should need 1000 of them

Edited March 31, 2015 by 5thHorseman

[Crzyrndm]

Does the probe have SAS capabilities? Reaction Wheels provide Torque not SAS.

Probes have different levels just like pilots. Early probes such as the stayputnik have no SAS capabilities

[KingPhantom]

i know that with the 1000 wheels

with SAS module i mean the reaction wheels for the different sizes.

before 0.90 i build a probe and added this part: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Advanced_S.A.S_Module,_Large

so i was able to build big probes and push the internal raction wheel of the probe witht the big reaction wheel. and the craft was able to activate SAS (t) and stay stable. this is not possible anymore... it doesnt matter what i build in in my craft. when i press SAS for stabilization of my craft i get a message on the right bottom of the screen, that this is not possible... it was before the update...

ps: the reaction wheels (tiny, middle) and the sas module (large) are still in the SAS part. i startet with KSP with 0.23.5.... the time after the SAS modules . but the reaction wheels worked the same as you wrote. i know

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@Crzyrndm: no not every probe has torque. that's why i add a reaction wheel or the large sas module. but the aren't usable somehow... still got the message.

also when i use a probe with torque. i can't activate SAS (with the t key) when there is no pilot in the craft.

[DeMatt]

The "Small Inline Reaction Wheel", the "Advanced Inline Stabilizer", and the "Advanced Reaction Wheel Module, Large" do not provide SAS functionality. They provide torque, or turning force, which is used by an SAS-capable control unit.

Of the stock probe cores, the Stayputnik and the QBE are the only two probe cores which are not SAS-capable. Pick an OKTO or better.

[Crzyrndm]

Torque and SAS are seperate modules. Probes can have no Torque and still have functional SAS (and the reverse). SAS is the control system (stability assistance system) which uses torque from reaction wheels and engines to stabilise your craft

This is the module you need on the probe

[KingPhantom]

so when i use the stayputnik in a satellite, my probe is not able anymore to maintain stability in orbit wit hitting the T key?

that's new with 0.90 and i don't like it.

thx for your help.

edit: i've unlocked the last probes and should be able to build better satellites. otherwise i use the mechjeb part for that

[Superfluous J]

with SAS module i mean the reaction wheels for the different sizes.

I know I was just pointing out that you were using the wrong term. I'd be like saying you had tons of "Engines" but nothing happened when you throttled up, because you were calling Octagonal Struts "Engines" Reaction wheels do not have SAS capabilities. That's why they are no longer called SAS modules.

before 0.90 i build a probe and added this part: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Advanced_S.A.S_Module,_Large

so i was able to build big probes and push the internal raction wheel of the probe witht the big reaction wheel. and the craft was able to activate SAS (t) and stay stable. this is not possible anymore... it doesnt matter what i build in in my craft. when i press SAS for stabilization of my craft i get a message on the right bottom of the screen, that this is not possible... it was before the update...

That's becasue now (in 0.90 and onward) certain probe cores do not have SAS capabilities. Reaction Wheels lost SAS before 0.23.5 but you didn't notice it because every single probe core had SAS. That is not true now. As DeMatt says, the first 2 you unlock do not have SAS. So don't use them when you want the probe to be able to use SAS.

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that's new with 0.90 and i don't like it.

It is, and most don't. I do like it and take a bit of pride in getting a satellite in orbit with a Stayputnik core.

[magnemoe]

The various probes has various features now, the staysputnik has no sas or reaction wheel, the other has sas, the higher level and more expensive probes tend to have better sas as an pilot with more experience.

However the octo2 and the cube has no reaction wheel so you need an extra reaction wheel or an pod.

[SRV Ron]

so when i use the stayputnik in a satellite, my probe is not able anymore to maintain stability in orbit wit hitting the T key?

that's new with 0.90 and i don't like it.

thx for your help.

edit: i've unlocked the last probes and should be able to build better satellites. otherwise i use the mechjeb part for that

You can still fly with the Stayputnik, you just have to add a small SAS and control the probe manually at all times during powered flight as there is no built in stabilizer. The same goes for non pilot Kerbals in single Kerbal pods.

[KingPhantom]

there is no SAS module... i can't add SAS to the stayputnik. this satellite is orbiting in an unstable manner.... i like to adjust them radial. so i will do that with mechjeb as before

[ghpstage]

Don't forget about fine controls toggled with the caps lock key, its pretty much a requirement for flying Stayputnik probes/sats with any degree of accuracy.

[KingPhantom]

i've to try it. i build now a satellite with the probe core which have every assist and added a reaction wheel... with the best part of the 0.90 update (the new possibilities during assembling) it's still very compact . i love powerfull small satellites for the carrer mode (send data from orbit around <insert your favourite body here>)

a small probe with the reaction wheel is really fast in turning arround. unnatural fast. i will try ist with fine controls.