How to enter space?

[Paladin]

Hi everybody, been away for quite some time so I have a couple of n00bish questions:
1. Can I enter space with my Sleipnir mk1 + thruster or do I need an mk2?
2. How do I go about it, can I lift of from anywhere, any special keyboard commands etc?
Big thanks.

[Coz1969]

afaik, any VTOL with thruster attached can enter space.

You can depart from anywhere on the planet. Special keys? Not really. Simply use the "move up" hotkey you probably already have for the VTOL, and keep going up until you get the message that you are about to enter space (iirc, around 900m elevation)

Once in space, it takes a while to get used to the difference in flying. R still works, or the forward/back arrows. The difference is that your "turn left" and "turn right" actually rotate the ship on it's center axis. Maybe I am explaining this badly, but try it as soon as you get into space. You will see what I mean. Oh, and when you leave the planet, you arrive at space station, so you are in a safe zone.

Actual turning, going "up" and "down" are controlled by the mouse. The front of the ship will move in the direction of mouse movement.

Happy flying!

[Serica]

...
1. Can I enter space with my Sleipnir mk1 + thruster or do I need an mk2?
2. How do I go about it, can I lift of from anywhere, any special keyboard commands etc?
...

To answer the above questions:
1. Yes, you can use a Sleip Mk1 with a space thruster.
2. You can lift off from anywhere, the default 'up' button is the left Shift key.

You may also find the following information helpful:

• All of Space is lootable PVP, other than the zone immediately around the spacestations (marked on the map in blue). Note: These safe zones are spheres, not cylinders. ie they do not extend from the top of the space map to the bottom, so you not be within the 'safe' zone even if your map marker shows you within the blue circle.
• Lootable items are anything that may be placed within the Materials or Minerals sections in your inventory. Putting these items into a container and/or vehicle storage will not protect them.
• There are players happy to shoot you down (and loot you) if they find you within range outside the 'safe' zones. Note: Quad pilots generally have Kismet Laser guns with a range of some 260m. A safe rule of thumb is that if you can see them, they can shoot you.
• While you can use a Sleip Mk1 in space, it is relatively slow compared to other vessels. For eg, SleipMk1 = 57.6km/hr, Quad = 104.4km/hr
• When you launch from a planet, you arrive in the 'safe' zone of the planet's Space Station. However, to return to the planet and land, you must pass thru lootable PVP. Note: There is a Landing Fee of 2ped (paid by the pilot) on re-entry to the planet atmosphere.
• Alternately, you can use the TP on the planet's space station to return to the planet safely for a fee of 7ped per trip. Note: This is a one-way TP, you cannot use it to move from the planet to the space station.

You may also find MA's Space Guide helpful.

[Paladin]

Thanks for your replies, says it all