Precision Landings

[Dizzle]

I was wondering how some people establish bases by landing just a few meters from other craft. Using the map view, the closest I've been able to come is 579 meters. Usually it's more than that, and I end up with about 1.3km-5km differences. How do you be more precise?

[Nibb31]

MechJeb can do pinpoint landings automatically, but with practice and a good stable design you can usually come within a few meters manually.

Also, there's nothing stopping you from taking off again and doing suborbital hops with RCS to move closer.

[Kosmo-not]

Here's a video of me doing a precision landing.

[pebble_garden]

It's pretty easy to line your orbit up to cross over your intended target in the map view. I like to make it overshoot a little and then cancel my horizontal velocity as I cross over the landing spot. Then it's a matter of making a straight drop down, with a little thrust vectoring to land where I want.

The thrust vectoring (or RCS use, if you are so inclined) isn't terribly hard, but it can take a little practice and requires a firm understanding of the attitude indicator and flightpath markers. I plan to make a tutorial on this very subject as soon as my day job isn't as crazy (a week or two from now).

[bsalis]

Here's a video of me doing a precision landing.

Yes, well. With practice you can do what Kosmo-not does, or that crazy swede... mebe.

However, for mere mortals, to do precision landings I would suggest Easy Mode. By which I mean a craft with ample thrust-to-weight and plenty of fuel. Drop your Pe beyond your target, then kill your horizontal when your close. Then come down mostly vertically. Hover and shimmeh to where you want to go.