Flames and Crash!
19 Jul 2017Robert Phillips
After visiting Messier 78, I headed towards the centre of Barnard's Loop. On the way, I decide to check out the Flame Nebula. This is another distinctive nebula in the Barnard's Loop region - a bright orange one this time! Many planets in, and near, this nebula are afforded a magnificent night sky of orange and pink:
In some of the photos above, you can also make out the Horsehead Nebula through the other side of Barnard's Loop.
It was around this region that I made a nearly fatal error. My complacency got the better of me and I failed to notice the high gravity of one of the planets I was landing on. I came down too fast and had to engage emergency manoeuvres - I turned to face away from the surface and boosted. My ship turned too slowly, and couldn't get enough lift in time, result in a loud 'CRASH!' as the port side ventral (belly) of my ship clipped a mountainside. Shields dropped straight away, and my hull was down to 75%:
Oh dear.
With sparks and flames flying out of my console and damaged hull, I lifted away from the high gravity and back into space. There, under the relative safety of zero-g, I engaged my AFMU. All sub-systems were repaired, but there was nothing I could do for the hull. I would have to be extra careful from now on, especially having already lost one SRV.
The Flame Nebula was true to it's name after all.