[Terwin]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Flight doesn't allow you to fly in Trace atmospheres, and unless I'm mistaken you actually start getting the reentry heating effect before you get to a greater than Trace atmospheric pressure. So, no, you can't use non-Space Flight to slow down enough to avoid the effect. TK, on the other hand, isn't going to be limited to atmosphere. Unmodified TK is reactionless (you don't get thrown back by pushing on something heavier than you, and you can push on yourself to fly), so you should be able to slow yourself down with that just fine. Note, however, that as you shed velocity, you'll lose your orbit; you may well end up reentering atmosphere before you've got your speed down enough to avoid burning up.

Couldn't the TK just alternate shedding vertical velocity and horizontal velocity to avoid reentry until at a reasonably sedate speed?

Originally Posted by Humabout

On a side note, Flight has a limited top speed - not acceleration - (increasable with Enhanced Move). A typical object in low orbit will need to change its speed by about 17,000ish mph (Move 8,500ish), which you just can't do unless you have...well...Move 8,500ish. Otherwise, you slow yourself by your Move and then reneter in an uncontrolled manner such that even if you don't burn up, you'll impact the surface at hypersonic speeds. If you arent torn apart by the pressures on your body.

To better answer your first question: Flight would require the Space enhancement. It still won't safely land you, but it will let you try.

If the acceleration is not limited but only top-speed, why could the flier not just keep slowing down? Perhaps stop flying for a moment, then resume to slow down more?

Originally Posted by Humabout

I have to look up the wording on TK and get back to you on the second, but even if its constant acceleration, you'll die because gravity accelerates you at 10 yards /s/s and your move is less than that. Thus you would end up in slightly reduced fall, still reneter at hypersonic speeds, and die a fiery, splatty, or torn-aparty death.

The TK specified will allow the character to lift off of the surface of an earth-like body at a rate of 2.2yds/sec, so there should be something included in it which can resist he acceleration of gravity up to that which would be experienced on the surface.

Thanks for the replies thus far, this was bugging me on the way to work this morning and I wanted to get some thoughts. (hopefully none of my flying/tk characters will get themselves into this sort of situation)