Walkthrough: Orbit Escape Step-by-Step Guide
Getting off the planet is the first major non-base task in 
Controls overview: Walk/Fly vs Sail (Cruise) Mode
Walk and Fly Modes (ground / short-range air movement)
- WASD move relative to the camera.
- Spacebar moves up; Alt moves down (default binds).
- Movement is direct and intuitive relative to camera orientation.
Sail (Cruise) Mode (high-speed spaceflight)
- W reorients your velocity toward the camera reticle (small square) and will increase speed if your current speed is below 100 m/s.
- S slows you down.
- Spacebar, A, D, and Alt also reorient velocity in directions offset from the camera (Spacebar → up, Alt → down, etc.) but do not add speed when under 100 m/s.
- Shift is the thrust/accelerate key for increasing speed above the auto-accelerate threshold; it consumes a large amount of energy.
Energy cost and why efficient ascent matters
- Using Shift to accelerate in Sail Mode is very expensive: roughly 500 kJ per (m/s) of speed gained.
- Because of that cost, you should minimize time spent thrusting. Quickly getting into a high enough altitude and the proper orientation reduces how much you must accelerate while in Sail Mode.
Transition requirements and behavior
- To transition from Fly Mode into Sail (Cruise) Mode you must:
- Be at least 50 m above ground.
- Have at least 12.5 m/s of speed.
- When you press W in Sail Mode, the game aligns your velocity toward the camera reticle and will automatically accelerate you up to 100 m/s if you were below that; however, further acceleration beyond 100 m/s requires using Shift and incurring the energy cost described above.
Recommended step-by-step escape procedure
Prepare camera and orientation:
- Point the camera as far upward as possible, then use the mouse to aim directly away from the planet once you are high enough. The small square reticle shows the direction W will orient your velocity in Sail Mode.
Climb to the transition altitude:
- From Fly Mode, hold Spacebar to ascend vertically until you are above 50 m altitude. Use WASD as needed for positioning relative to the camera.
Reach the minimum speed:
- While ascending or once above 50 m, ensure you have at least 12.5 m/s. If you started from near-ground walk/fly speeds, using Spacebar plus forward input will generally get you past that threshold.
Enter Sail Mode:
- Once altitude and speed requirements are met, transition into Sail Mode. Immediately press W with your camera aimed away from the planet to align your velocity outward.
Minimize thrust usage:
- Allow the automatic acceleration to bring you to 100 m/s (no energy cost beyond what you already had). Avoid using Shift until you have a good upward/outward heading and only use it to reach necessary escape speeds; each m/s above 100 m/s costs substantial energy.
Climb and escape:
- Continue to hold W with the camera oriented away from the planet to keep velocity pointed outward. Use brief, measured taps of Shift only when required to reach orbital escape velocity or docking approach speeds for mid/late-game objectives.
Practical tips
- Camera aiming matters more than raw inputs in Sail Mode because W reorients your velocity to the camera reticle; set the reticle exactly where you want to go before committing fuel to accelerate.
- Gain as much vertical separation as possible while still in Fly Mode to reduce the amount of expensive acceleration needed in Sail Mode.
- Because acceleration above 100 m/s is expensive, plan flights so you perform long-range directional corrections while still in Fly Mode when possible.
- If you must perform large speed increases (e.g., long interplanetary hops), expect significant energy consumption — treat Shift-thrust as a costly resource.
Following this sequence and mindset will get you out of the atmosphere quickly while conserving energy for the longer voyage between systems.