Trouble landing

[kevo]

hi just wondered if anyone can give me any tips on landing on a planet . ive got better at my orbiting now but im just really hving problems landing i just failed 10 in a row . i seem to be going straight down but as soon as i land it just falls over . thx

[Vanamonde]

It might be the design of your lander. Is it low and wide? That helps prevent tipping. Also, which planet are you talking about? Landing on one with an atmosphere is vastly different from landing in a vacuum.

[NoMrBond]

You might be coming down with some lateral 'ground' speed as well as the vertical 'dropping' speed you normally contend with.

Make sure your NavBall is on 'Surface', and try and make sure your surface velocity (it'd be the retrograde marker as you're coming down) isn't off on one side as you're pointed directly up, as this shows you're still moving sideways compared to the surface you're trying to land on

[Frederf]

Try to hover at a low height 1-5m for the count of three and then slightly reduce throttle to sink. On touchdown watch the navball and steer to counter any tipping tendency. Use cut throttle on touchdown to make your landing positive and more stable. Pick as flat a spot as you possible can.

[Scarecrow88]

If you are pointing straight up just before touch down, but the yellow retrograde marker on the navball is off to one side, it means you are arriving with some sideways moving which is likely to result in you tipping over when you touch the ground. Once I am below 20,000m I try to keep my marker on the retrograde for slowing down, which usually leads to being vertical with no sideways movement.

[Tw1]

As others have said, sounds like either a design problem, or a problem with killing horizontal velocity. But you're not crashing, so probably just something that will come with practice. Or a revision of your lander design.

[capi3101]

Three possibilities are, as others have said 1) your lander needs to be shorter with a wider base, 2) you need to kill your horizontal velocity, and 3) you need to pick an area with a shallower grade (preferably someplace flat); you can land on hills, but it's tricky and if your center of balance is high, you'll be more likely to tip over.

If you do tip over, you can right your capsule again with RCS thrust if you have enough of it available; had to do that myself with my first three "successful" Mun landings...

Another thing that's helpful when it comes to landing if you've got a manned pod is to go IVA occasionally during your descent to check the radar altimeter. When it starts moving you can gauge how much further you've got until you're at the surface. Helps plan when you need to be seriously slowing down.

Edited June 28, 2013 by capi3101

[Rickenbacker]

Oh, and if, when you point the nose straight up, your retrograde vector marker is off to the side (indicating that you're moving sideways as well as down), point the nose slightly towards the marker when doing your brake burn. This will bring the retrograde marker closer to center. The goal is to have it centered on the dot when touching down. Looking at the ground helps, but it's harder to control your lander visually, than using the navball.

[kevo]

thx for the replys guys like uve all mentioned i think my landing stage is to tall ill fix that and see if its any better . plus what you all say about the retrograde marker ive got to admit as i got closer to the ground i was having trouble staying on it so ill hve to work at that to . thx for the replys