Stick the LandingThe Landing Revolution
Landing a rocket is hard: you're falling fast, carrying just enough fuel, and the engine is often too strong to hover. Here's how people learned to do it, and the physics you're fighting in the game.
🧪 Hoverslam Lab
When should you light the engine so you reach zero speed exactly at the ground?
Ignoring air drag: net braking = g × (TWR − 1). Ignition height = v² ÷ (2 × net braking). Burn time = v ÷ net braking. In the game drag helps you on Earth and Titan, so real ignition can come a bit later.
Orange: coasting (engine off). Blue: landing burn. Dashed: what happens if you light up 2 seconds late.
🗓️ Landing Timeline
Real events, real dates. Tap “Fly it” to play the matching level.
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🪐 Worlds compared
The four places you can land in the game.
| World | Surface gravity | vs Earth | Air | What it means for landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌍 Earth | 9.81 m/s² | 100% | Thick | Drag slows you and wind pushes you around. Boosters need a strong, short burn. |
| 🌕 Moon | 1.62 m/s² | ~17% | None | No drag and no wind, but also no air to slow you: every metre per second has to be burned off. |
| 🔴 Mars | 3.71 m/s² | ~38% | Very thin (<1% of Earth's pressure) | Too thin for parachutes alone, thick enough for dust storms. Engines do most of the work. |
| 🟠 Titan | 1.35 m/s² | ~14% | Dense (~1.5× Earth's pressure) | You drift down slowly, like sinking through syrup, but breezes shove you sideways. |