Planetary Descent Endorsement

The Planetary Descent Endorsement permits a pilot to fly crewed powered descents and ascents in heavy landers, chiefly the Cascade Dropship. It is co-issued by the IFSB and the Mars Settlement Landing Board, and is mandatory for any landing at a new colony site on Mars.

Candidates need a Commercial Pilot Licence (Orbital) and 400 hours as pilot in command. Training requirements include 110 simulator hours covering dust storms, Titan haze and low-gravity lunar terrain, 80 flight hours with at least 24 powered descents to unprepared ground, and a check ride with a planned abort to orbit from low altitude.

Lumen's Dropship Landing Certification, taught above and on Mars, is the accredited route. The endorsement requires six landings every 90 days to stay current.

The handbook includes our landing-site risk checklist, adopted by several settlement authorities as their own standard.

Holders who wish to land on Titan must complete an additional atmospheric-entry module, since the moon's thick haze requires different techniques from Mars or Luna. The endorsement is widely seen as the most practical qualification for settlement work.