Without seeing the desing in question I\'m going to have to provide some general advice instead of anything specific. I generally avoid much in the way of maneuvering in the lower atmosphere (below 10\'000m to 12\'000m), only a rotation so the rocket is heading 90 East and maybe up to 10 degrees of lean to the East. After that slowly ease the nose down to 45 degrees at about 50\'000m and then all the way down to 0 degrees by 70\'000m (or intended altitude). Fins, the non moving ones, can help aerodynamicaly stabilise a rocket and for one particular design I have to use the C7 Delta wings as fins! Best of luck to you! Back to the main thread: Closette: Lunar Lander was the first proper game I ever programmed a version of. Fond memories For general Mun landings I enter orbit at 10\'000m, kill horizontal speed and then drop to the surface, eliminating any dregs of horizontal speed with RCS and braking with main engines at the last moment I dare. To save fuel on return to Kerbin I\'ve started to preform aerobraking orbits, allowing a highly eccentric orbit return to Kerbin (ignoring direct return) over a half dozen or so orbits. In fact about half the duration of my Mun missions are the aerobraking orbits, though I want to decrease that a lot (hence this thread is of much interest!).