Flight
Normal flight
Section titled “Normal flight”
The throttle sets the speed you want, and flight assist holds it: it damps your drift so the ship goes where it points. Switch flight assist off (Z) and the ship keeps whatever motion it has, which lets you turn and fire while sliding past. X cuts the throttle to zero; in normal flight it can also go a little into reverse.
V cycles the camera between the chase view, the cockpit, and a free camera you can orbit round the ship by dragging.
Supercruise
Section titled “Supercruise”Distances inside a system are far too big for normal flight. C engages supercruise, which carries you between planets in minutes. Pick a target first (T, or the bodies list, B), and supercruise drops you near it as you arrive. It also drops you at the edge of a rock field or by a relic you’re heading for.
Close to a planet, the drive bends your course along it so you skim past instead of hitting it. The emergency drop out of supercruise is only a last resort.
Each hit you take has a small chance of knocking out your frame shift drive’s charge, which delays supercruise or a jump.
Docking
Section titled “Docking”Every station has a slot. Press G (or Dock) within 25 km of the station and the docking computer flies you in. You can also fly in through the slot by hand. Inside, your ship stands on a pad in its own hangar, and you can walk out into the concourse.
Landing
Section titled “Landing”
You can land on any solid world: rocky, icy, metal, desert, Earth-like and more. Press G (or Land) near a planet, or pick a landing spot on the planet map (M near a planet). The ship comes down in a wide, banking turn into low flight a short way from your spot, heading for it, where you fly by hand close to the ground, then makes a powered descent onto its legs.
C in low flight climbs back to orbit. G on the ground takes off.
Megacities are different: ships may only land on the pads of their spaceports. See Stations and cities.
Leaving the seat
Section titled “Leaving the seat”In normal flight, U (or Leave seat) lets you get up and walk round your ship. The throttle drops to zero and flight assist brings the ship to a stop. Weapons and the scanner are off while you’re away from the seat. See Aboard your ship.