Pinpoint Landings!

[ChrisDaBox]

Okay so I want to start my own Mun base. I have already landed a craft on the Munar surface but for me to expand the base, I have to be able to do pinpoint landings(Obvs!). But I cant do pinpoint landings unless I want to end up with literally no fuel at all to orbit let alone return to kerbin. If anyone has some tips or helpful information for me, please post it. It will really help me!

[Innuce]

The mod MechJeb does a pretty decent job if you allow it enough altitude to start with.

[Voidryder]

I "Neil Armstrong" it using the Maneuvering Nodes. From an established orbit (usually 100 K) I create a node. Use the sliders to create a path (orbit) that intersects the Mun near or on top of my landing target. I then burn accordingly. Once I start getting a good visual on my target craft I start killing my horizontal velocity while watching my altitude. I try and end up as vertical as I can and about 1k out from my target under 1000m in altitude. It's then a balancing act between descent engine and RCS thrusters to get me where I want to go. Takes practice. Can't tell you how many missions I had to abort. Make sure you have enough fuel. I'm sure there are better ways, but this works for me.

[Conarr]

If you don't want to use MechJeb, or don't trust it to land (like me), then you can set your orbit directly over the site and when you pass overhead, burn like crazy until the orbit drops straight down on the site. Then just land like normal.

Alternatively, if you don't have that much fuel laying about, you can set maneuver nodes that ease you down right on top of it and then throw out an anchor - so to speak. Void has a pretty good description of how to land, so I won't repeat it. F5 a lot until you get the hang of it

[Zephram Kerman]

You can have a lot more fuel for pinpoint landings (and to return home) by optimizing the approach to land. The most efficient way to approach a landing spot is an elliptical orbit that passes very low over the landing site. Then burn to land using a path that looks a bit like a reverse gravity turn. The hard part is estimating when to start, but it comes with a practice after just a few tries. After touchdown, use rover wheels to drive overland back to where you meant to go.

[ChrisDaBox]

Thankyou for the great feedback guys! I will do a Mun launch right now! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, Engine start, 3, 2, 1, LIFTOFF!

[Vanamonde]

Rather than drive yourself crazy trying to thread a needle, just add ejectable wheels to your buildings, land fairly close, and drive them to the exact spot you want them.

[MBobrik]

pinpoint landing in vacuum and low gravity is easy. just set a maneuver node so that the final orbit pierces ground slightly beyond your target and kill all your horizontal velocity when you are straight above it.

Pinpoint landings on planets with dense atmosphere, and from low orbit. that is hard.

Edited May 22, 2013 by MBobrik

[MBobrik]

Then burn to land using a path that looks a bit like a reverse gravity turn.

Isn't that called "suicide burn" ?

[diegzumillo]

Or you could do what mechjeb does behind the curtains, the math isn't that complicated... depending on your math skills.

[Kegereneku]

The suicide burn is more for the very finale deceleration, when you try to kill velocity as close as possible from the ground (because any second spent hovering is wasted fuel)

[MBobrik]

The suicide burn is more for the very finale deceleration, when you try to kill velocity as close as possible from the ground (because any second spent hovering is wasted fuel)

I know, but I think that what he suggested

The most efficient way to approach a landing spot is an elliptical orbit that passes very low over the landing site. Then burn to land using a path that looks a bit like a reverse gravity turn.

inevitably results in/is indistinguishable from one - killing off your horizontal speed as close to the ground as you can has to go hand in hand with killing your vertical velocity as close to the ground as you can as well. otherwise you are gonna killing it( along with the crew ) through lithobraking.

[Zephram Kerman]

Isn't that called "suicide burn" ?

Very similar. But the reverse gravity turn can be done with a safety margin, so that it's not necessarily always full power. But that's why I say the hard part is knowing when to start.

[IllicitMedic]

One word...Mechjeb...I can fly almost anything manually except pinpoint landings, I let my buddy MechJeb handle that...talk about pinpoint you better offset your landing site a few degrees off otherwise it will literally land right on top of your base.

[Porspeler]

...otherwise you are gonna killing it( along with the crew ) through lithobraking.

"Lithobraking"...? That's great!

If there's one thing at which I excel in KSP, it's Lithobraking.

Thanks for the pinpoint landing tips, folks.

[Sirine]

Max that I can get at the Mun...2,300m away....from target.

Need wheels...

[KerbMav]

Havent really tried this but plan to do so the next time I revisit my Mun base:

Set a base structure as your target and use it (as if you were docking) as a landing assist signal on the navball.

You still want to approach much more vertically then horizontally, so bring your apoapsis as close and low as possible above your landing zone and kill all or most horizontal movement.

Basically like landing a plane: Get close to landing zone, drop altitude and slow down, glide towards target - just remember that the ideal "air"speed of a lander is 0 m/s!

Reading this makes it look so trivial!

[alkir-2]

Writing 8 years later, hoping there are still people here.
Is it possible to do actual pinpoint landings, like, land exactly on top of a building?
I forgot to attach batteries and an antenna to a Mun base and was trying to dock them on top of it (yep, it has a docking port), but the best I can do is land within 100 m radius of my base. Tried a "drone" on RCS, but it lacked power to fly.
Fuel isn't really a problem, but how do I actually land on top of a docking port?