Finally! My First Manual Re-Entry and Landing

Mantis

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It wasn't pretty, it wasn't error free but as they say, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. Using Grover's DGIV Re-entry tutorial, I managed in my first attempt to sucessfully de-orbit a DGIV from the ISS and land it on the runway at KSC. I have previously done all manner of capsule landings and I've done by the seat of my pants DGIV re-entries where I've landed anywhere from the Canadian arctic to the middle of the pacific. This was the first precise, targeted re-entry and landing that I've done with Orbiter. I am PUMPED! :cheers:

My skills checklist is as follows:

Launch - I can take off and achieve orbit with just about any vehicle.

Lunar Transfer - Anyone can do it with the Lunar Transfer MFD but I've mastered it with the standard Transfer MFD.

Rendez-vous and docking - I need some practice here but I've got the gist of it and I have little problems doing manual rendezvous and docking operations with most orbiter spacecraft.

Planetary Transfers - I can do them but not very well - my next major skills development task is to try and masfter TransX or Interplanetary MFD or both.

Re-Entry and Landing - Few problems with capsules but need more practice to do it precsely and to do it with winged spacecraft - thrilled to have my first under my belt with the DGIV.

Landing on Other Bodies - Still have not done a manual lunar landing - I have to master that sooner or later now too.
 
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