Tested my pilot skills and failed…
01 Jan 2022Zboia Michaels
… mostly. I have been flying the Galaxy since 3305, nearly three years now. I have journeyed to Colonia, twice. Spent some time exploring the Supermassive Black Hole at Sagittarius A*. I even took a six month cruise to Beagle Point and back. I have visited over 15 thousand systems, made over 8 billion credits from Exploration but nothing prepared me for trying to land on a 45G planet.
I have spent most of my time in Elite Dangerous flying my Asp Explorer so I plotted a course from my carrier, Star Explorer, in the Bubble to KOI 1701. Over 6800 light years later I jumped into the KOI 1701 system, filled up my fuel tank, “Honked” the system, completed my full spectrum scan, got my bearing and headed towards planet 1. I dropped from orbital cruise and engaged guild mode. I did not glide much since I was trying to stay as level as possible. That is when I knew Gravity won.
I tried to level out and slow my descent about 100 meters from the surface but gravity would not let me, still dropping too fast, I deployed my landing gear, pitched up 85 degrees and boosted. Gravity just laughed at me and before I knew it I was belly first stuck on the surface of a 45.32G planet. I lost all my shields and 63% of my hull. Luckily there is no bouncing on a 45G planet or I would have surely lost the rest of my hull and been sent to the re-buy screen.
I took a deep breath, let my shield regenerate, and decided that another landing attempt was not possible with only 37% hull. Very slowly I lifted off, not because of me but because gravity sill had the upper hand was not going to let go so easily. I slowly ascended as the planet’s gravity finally lost its grip and after what seemed an eternity I left the planet and system to head home.
With all my exploring I have never flown with such a damaged hull so I limped my way to Medusa’s Rock, the nearest system to repair my ship. I attended to the four Rs (Repair, Refuel, Restock, and Rest) and journeyed back to the bubble and my carrier.
After all that is said and done, I did land on a 45G planet and returned in one piece. In hind sight I think the Asp Explorer set up for deep space exploring was not the right ship to land on such a high gravity planet. My Power Plant and Thrusters scaled back and stripped down to allow greater jump distance were useless on KOI 1701 1. At least I got to check it off my Bucket List. Who knows, I may go back with another ship.
Fly safe Commanders, see ya in the Black. o7