Dropship Descent Check Ride Day

Eight candidates from the current Dropship Landing Certification cohort fly their final check rides on the Arsia Plateau training pad, each completing a powered descent to unprepared ground and a planned low-altitude abort to orbit in the Cascade Dropship.

Spectators can follow every descent from the observation deck, with live telemetry and commentary from instructor Bakari Mensah. Chief Examiner Thabo Sithole will explain how examiners score each landing, what counts as a fail and why the abort to orbit is often harder than the landing itself.

Prospective students considering the Planetary Descent Endorsement are especially welcome. Settlement authorities and freight operators recruiting Cascade crews are invited to meet candidates in the afternoon.

A pre-flight briefing at 06:00 local time covers the day's weather and dust forecast, and visitors can listen in on cockpit audio for every descent. Families of candidates are welcome. Spectators should bring their own pressure suits for the pad-side viewing area or remain on the enclosed deck.