PLAYING GUIDE
Align before the final descent
The target is a gentle upright landing on the marked pad before 90 seconds expire. Horizontal position, rotation and descent speed all matter. Begin turning upright while there is still enough height to correct the path.
Thrust changes more than height
Thrust follows the craft’s orientation. When the craft is tilted, firing the engine also changes sideways motion. A late sideways correction can make a safe-looking descent unstable, so separate the approach into positioning, alignment and final slowing.
Watch fuel and speed together
A low descent speed is helpful, but spending all fuel too early removes your ability to correct later. Use brief burns, observe the gauges, and allow time for each change to take effect. A hard impact or touching down away from the pad ends the attempt.
Choose a smaller first goal
First practise reaching a position above the pad while upright. Next work on reducing descent speed before contact. A successful landing with remaining fuel scores better, but preserving fuel is secondary to making a safe landing.
Updated 26 September 2026 · Our editorial method