What do I need to do to upgrade probes to get SAS?

[DrewBox]

For example, I has to have Jeb orbit Kerbin twice to upgrade to have prograde/retrograde functions, and orbit the Mun for another experience upgrade. What do I need to do with a probe to upgrade a probe so I can get SAS control?

[Ruska]

You need a better probe, which should be in one of the next tech nodes.

[Tex_NL]

Get a better probe.

You can not upgrade probes. The probes higher up in the tech tree have more capabilities.

[Sirrobert]

SAS is advanced software. You need some upgrades to develop AI to do what a pilot can

[passinglurker]

Get this mod.

Tweakable Everything

It will (among other things) make most probes upgradable

[worir4]

I wish all probe cores could be upgradable so that instead of making some probes redundant, you could unlock software from the tech tree and then all the probe cores would have the same ability but different asthetics.

[Janos1986]

I wish all probe cores could be upgradable so that instead of making some probes redundant, you could unlock software from the tech tree and then all the probe cores would have the same ability but different asthetics.

THIS.

Mom, I want this for my birthday.

[SRV Ron]

As the Stayputnik has been turned into a R/C receiver, you need to fly it manually at all times as it has no stability functions built into it. Once you unlock the next probe up, the Probododyne, You will then have its built in stabilization capability for flight. In addition, it will have the capability to use the small SAS now available for stability and maneuvering.

[ddenis]

I wish all probe cores could be upgradable so that instead of making some probes redundant, you could unlock software from the tech tree and then all the probe cores would have the same ability but different asthetics.

You think about probes as a technology of the same generation, difference in them have to be rather measured in decades. Is it possible to install new software on the Sputnik 1 which was launched in 1957?

[worir4]

You think about probes as a technology of the same generation, difference in them have to be rather measured in decades. Is it possible to install new software on the Sputnik 1 which was launched in 1957?

For the purposes if KSP I think yes. I personally do not think that any part should become redundant becuase of tech tree upgrades. With the current unlocking of the probes the earlier probes are useless.

[Srpadget]

With the current unlocking of the probes the earlier probes are useless.

Only the Stayputnik. All the added pilot/probe capabilities after basic SAS "attitude hold" are pretty much useless, and eat RCS/electricity like candy. So as soon as you get the 2nd probe core, all remaining probe cores are functionally interchangeable for most purposes and it really pretty much does devolve to a matter of aesthetics. (Which also bugs me, as the sizes/shapes I am most fond of are the VERY LAST probe cores, highest in the tech tree--the small and large axial-stack cores. And of course the Mk2 spaceplane drone core, though that can be gotten around by sticking a less-pretty probe core in a Mk2 cargo bay.)

[passinglurker]

seriously the tweak everything mod does exactly what all you people are asking for

[LethalDose]

I think I'm on the fence about the probe core issue. I like that newer probes have enhanced capability, but I dislike that older ones become mostly irrelevant. I tend to play a probe-heavy game with RT2, and the change concerns me.

seriously the tweak everything mod does exactly what all you people are asking for

Yes, passinglurker, it does (or at least I assume it does, I don't use the mod), but people want things in stock. For various reasons (some valid, some less so), some players refuse to use mods. It's their choice, but said choice doesn't mean their requests to have that functionality added to stock are invalid.

[sal_vager]

The thing is though, the Stayputnik is supposed to be a really basic, cheap, no frills probe.

Add SAS to it and you may as well add SAS to pods again, so no need for pilots.

Having it later in the tech tree makes no sense as no one would use it, we'd still just see requests for it to be balanced with the other probes and players not understanding its role.

Just as with other games, you start out with less capable hardware and develop better stuff as you go, career has come as a bit of a culture shock to many players who expected career to be sandbox but with new features to unlock on top of what they were familiar with, rather than sandbox showing all the current features and career starting the player with considerably less.

Flying without SAS isn't all that hard either, but we've all been used to having it we've taken it for granted.

[Kryxal]

Incidentally, the HECS has the prograde/retrograde functions built in, hope you appreciate the six-sided symmetry too!