Landing on target

[E. F. Kranz]

Wouldn't it be nice if the game would let you select a position on a planet/moon for landing?

This could be implemented using the existing targeting system.

[arq]

Usually to do spot landings I get a low orbit at a high enough inclination to pass over the spot I want, wait for my orbit to be over the target, and then deorbit with a burn that goes slightly past the target (so that the entry burns will put me very close). Of course, a marker could make the process of getting very precise landings more accurate. Also, this works poorly with a thick atmo (ie Kerbin or Eve) because it is difficult to predict the exact drag losses. A marker could be helpful.

[brusura]

Yes absolutly, right now I think you can do that with lazormod and the new release of mechjeb ( adding a marker )

[vcazan]

You can just make a maneuver node and match it up to where you want to land

[EmissionGeneration]

Yeah Nodes are the best way to go, just make sure you keep in mind after your Velocity will drop, then so will your landing zone. Plan ahead to get where you want. Mechjeb's Landing Function is very buggy at the moment, so I probably wouldn't rely on that.

[Horn Brain]

That would be a great tool for airless bodies!

For atmospheric reentry, I think the best thing to do now is (only because with the way the game calculates drag almost everything has the same ballistic coefficient, i.e. drag will have the same effect on most things that don't have lots of aerospikes or parachutes) to launch a series of probes into orbit around your target and experiment.

My procedure for targeted reentry (worked on Eve, would also work on Laythe, Kerbin, and Duna, but on Duna you should expect much less precision due to the terrain elevation):

1.) Launch a probe into a low circular orbit that you will use to begin all targeted descents (Obviously remember the altitude. Mine for Eve is 135km)

2.) Choose a target location beneath your orbit and quicksave (I chose a patch near the equator with about 4.5km hills, but you may also like landing a probe there to judge distance more accurately).

3.) When you reach the exact opposite point in your orbit (other side of planet), do a de-orbit burn and put your periapsis directly over where your target will be when you get to the other side. Remember the Pe altitude.

4.) See how close you get to your target. If you land before your target, raise your Pe next time (do a quickload and try again), if you land past it, lower it next time.

5.) Repeat steps 3+4 until you are satisfied with your accuracy.

6.) Remember the orbit altitude and the Pe altitude and use them for targeted deorbits from now on!

On Eve, a 135km x ~68km orbit will land you directly beneath your periapsis (search around that Pe, don't take my word for it. I had lots of parachutes and aerospikes because I was doing an Eve return). Also, if you have lots of wings and fins, you may be able to adjust your trajectory significantly to account for errors.

Good luck!

[nats]

Its incredibly difficult to land anywhere accurately with this game but I wouldnt want to be able to select my landing site.

I would prefer to have better landing feedback for example horiz and vert momentum separated at the very least, or perhaps a flight path marker on the screen to show where I am going to land if I continue on this path sort of thing like they have in jets now.

I dont want it made easy its the most challenging and fun part of the game and whereas I do want better feedback I dont want it to ever become a 'click a button and land' affair.

[Subcidal]

This would be a pain to implement as everybody lands differently. Unless there's some sort of auto pilot it's going to be very inconsistant.

[_Aramchek_]

It's pretty easy to land on target anyway, I'm not sure something like that would be the best use of dev time.

[sgt_flyer]

Reusing descent profiles is a good thing - i spent quite some time before finding the good spots on kerbin for my Kliper - once i got them, i sent beacons on the two points i use for reentry - one directly under the spot i have to start deorbiting, and the second one marking the periapsis intended position after the deorbit burn.

Although in the end,my Kliper's being a good glider, it makes accurate landings a breeze (i now glide it each time to KSC's runway, and even overshooting it is not a problem -i can just turn around

[ApocSurvivor713]

Some guy on the KSP subreddit came up with an excellent way to reliably land at the KSC from a 100km orbit. Just wait in a circular 100km orbit until your ship's passing over the southern rim of that big impact crater. When you reach that point, put your periapsis at 1.5km and prepare for re-entry. You may need to adjust speed, but all in all it's an excellent method, and since I found out about it, I've never landed more than a few kilometers from the KSC, whereas I used to land almost always on that big landmass that I think goes by "Krussia" or something. You probably know which one I'm talking about.

[generalmiller]

I've always used mechjeb and it hasn't failed me yet. In every save file my first Mun landing is always at a very specific easter egg and mechjeb always puts me at most a kilometer away.