Mars Rover Landing

You're entering Martian atmosphere. Fight gravity and wind, manage your fuel, and land precisely on the pad. Too fast or off-target — and it's over.

Keyboard Controls

↑ Main thruster ←→ Rotate R Restart

Landing Criteria

Safe Thresholds V-Speed < 4 m/s · H-Speed < 2.5 m/s · Tilt within 12°

Mars Gravity 3.72 m/s² — about 38% of Earth's. Objects fall slower, but you still need thrust to slow your descent.

Martian Wind Mars has thin but persistent winds. A new wind direction and strength is set each game — watch the indicator.

Fuel Management Every thruster burn costs fuel. If you run out before landing, you'll fall uncontrolled. Burn smart.

Landing Criteria Hit the pad with vertical speed < 4 m/s, horizontal speed < 2.5 m/s, and tilt within 12°.

The Real Thing

Curiosity rover self-portrait on Mars. Public domain, NASA/JPL-Caltech.

NASA's Curiosity rover safely landed on Mars in 2012 using a real "sky crane" descent stage — the same kind of fuel, gravity, and timing tradeoffs you just managed.