How do you use the Stayputnik?

[Fraston]

Short answer: I don’t. Unless it’s for decoration. Manned command pods are better than the stayputnik because they can perform science experiments by themselves, as well as hold things that are portable science experiments, as well as if they have a pilot they are able to have SAS without any parts helping it.

[Guest]

I like the golden style a lot more, it has a lot more control and I love it!

Yesterday I did my first Eeloo landing. with it, I did Automatic Retrograde and was able to land safely and did my first Suicide burned to land

I did think of using it once... when I did my first probes I used it. It was so horrifying. I did tests on all of them and decided the most modern ones are the better ones to use

Edited May 2, 2019 by Guest
To make it more relevant to the Discussion

[Aeroboi]

On 2/11/2016 at 8:06 PM, Choctofliatrio2.0 said:

I dislike the Stayputnik. A lot. I find it basically worthless. It requires heavier control surfaces and extra reaction wheel modules to be controllable, which is expensive and adds weight, which is always a concern in the early game.

True, and the stayputnik is the first probe core in the career game. Historically the stayputnik (sputnik) was faired so it didn't suffered drag problems as you do on early rockets using them. Fins or no fins it throws off balance and makes launching a stayputnik probe rocket harder, which is what you want new players to avoid during the early career process. These people don't come here so it's possible anyone might share that opinion.

As to what it is good for.

They are  used as bearing due to their rounded hitboxes used for stock propeller planes, the none MH old stockish version of it.
Satellites, yes seriously. There rounded shape is very cosmetical, use a few bundled together to make a figure, imagine...
The thing is, use the stayputnik but only if it is a faired rocket, otherwise stay away from it unless your sure to have a lot of bottom fins.

[Vanamonde]

Some posts have been removed. It doesn't matter how old a thread is if the content is still relevant. 

[Pds314]

It's an acceptable bearing.

[Guest]

16 hours ago, Vanamonde said:

Some posts have been removed. It doesn't matter how old a thread is if the content is still relevant. 

I hope my editing made my posts a little more relevant 

[F3ARSTUNTS]

As a bearing in stock props, otherwise, nothing unless I make a Sputnik recreation.

[bayesian_acolyte]

It's the lightest and cheapest probe core in the game, and is thus great for min/maxing in brutal career settings or in challenges. Recently I used it to set the current high score in a 5k funds or less speed challenge of over 9km/s orbital speed. Right now I'm working on a RSS career play through with unmodified stock parts and no accepted contracts, and it would be impossible without this minimalist probe core.

Reading the other replies I think it's really under-appreciated. You can get by with no SAS or RCS with just gimbaled engines, and the wasted fuel you spend pointing to the desired direction should be less than the dV you gain and funds you save from using this lighter probe core.

Edit: If you don't have SAS, it helps a lot if you are using Mechjeb.

Edited May 4, 2019 by bayesian_acolyte

[JustAToy]

I only use it once.   For the contract that you get at the start of a career mode game.   When it wants you to do an orbit rather than send a Kerbal up

in a rocket that lacks the proper parts.   I mount it on top with a battery and an antenna and thermostat and send it off to orbit.    I get the contract and

it is latter just destroyed when it runs out of power after radioing home the data from the thermostat.    Its cheap at a time when money is tight.  

[Vakarian]

I had to look up what it is, I guess that answers the question haha.

[Andersenman]

SQUAD uses it in the stock tech tree to mock players with its utter uselessness as a control module thanks to its horrible, completely unrealistically unshieldable drag (fairings come MUCH later) and colossal ugliness when trying to surface-attach anything but a 16.

But at least it has a polished finish now, so there is that.

 

This is why I keep with me a small mod part that essentially stuffs the Stayputnik's innards into a nose cone:

Weight, cost, tech tree placement, and typos adjusted, of course.

Edited June 5, 2019 by Andersenman

[Jestersage]

I think i finally found a use for stayputnik (Waiting to get home to try it:

http://www.lemcat.it/2019/05/28/sputnik-57/

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Jestersage

[WWEdeadman]

The only thing I've used it for ever since it doesn't do SAS anymore, and requires reaction wheels, was for a Sputnik replica, which I used as payload on my Soyuz stock replica; and as a way to tell FMRS I want to be able to control that dropped stage, on early career reusable launchers.