Space Shuttle Commander Patch Walkthrough.
V 1.0 by B.L. Timmins AKA Master Higgins on Gamefaqs AKA Dr. Morbis everywhere
else.

I got the first three rankings quite easily, but the Commander ranking
absolutely baffled me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t figure out how to land
with more than about 7200 fuel units after 6+ dockings. So I turned to the net
for help. To my amazement, there is not one single FAQ or walkthrough on how to
get the Commander patch, nor is there any mention of anyone ever actually doing
it. So I set out to accomplish the feat on my own (pic at the bottom) and write
a short guide for anyone else who is interested in doing it.

Before reading my directions below, know that it assumes you have a good
understanding of the game and can attain the Pilot rank quite easily. Also, it
is essential to be able to dock quickly and efficiently, so here are some
docking tips:

Docking Made Easy:

-After a successful Rendezvous, immediately max your speed out at 25.5. This
greatly decreases the time it takes for the satellite to settle at X 128
(saving time = saving fuel). And since you’re going so fast, as soon as the
satellite has settled you’ll automatically start racing towards it again
without having to make any speed adjustments.

-At X 128, check Y and adjust to 0 if greater than 20 (Yes, ignore Z. Always
ignore Z until you have a visual on the satellite. The reason being, after
about the 4th docking Z always readjusts to approx. -13 every time the
satellite re-settles. Since you’ll be going at max speed you’ll slowly drift
down to it and be within 4 [usually within 2] by the time you reach the
satellite anyway).

-At X 1 or X 2 decrease speed by about 0.8. The satellite should be right in
front of you and in view.

-At this time, readjust Z to 0 and make small speed adjustments to get X to 0.
If it is your 4th docking or less, try to line up Y exactly with 0. IMPORTANT
TIP: From the 5th docking onward, always line up Y BESIDE 0 (at 1 or -1). The
reason is; the satellite is so erratic that it changes its Y axis every 2
seconds or less. The trick to later dockings is lining up Y to be one off 0 and
waiting for the satellite to move on to 0 and stay for the full 2 seconds.
(there’s a 50% chance it will move farther away along the Y axis so if you are
at -1 and it moves farther making you at -2, simply move with it to readjust
back to -1). Getting the hang of this tip makes docking the erratic satellites
infinitely less difficult.

-Once you’ve mastered docking, you should always have 9900+ fuel units after
every docking from the 4th one onward. By the way, the satellite doesn’t get
any more difficult after the 6th docking. If you can dock 6 times with ease,
you should be able to dock 20 times with ease. To practice, set a goal for
yourself (ie: 10 dockings) and don’t come down until you’ve accomplished it.
After mastering docking you’ll be ready for:

My Simple Guide to Attaining the Rank of Commander:

-Standard Launch and Orbit.
- IGNORE the normal Deorbit Burn instructions and follow these steps instead:
1.Immediately after your 6th+ docking (and with at least 9500 fuel units), drop
your speed all the way down to 18.9. Do this quickly. DON’T wait for X 128.
2.Activate engines.
3.Set Pitch at +24 and don’t touch the CX40 again until you see the Reentry
screen.
4.Switch status to your Altimeter. It should be stuck on a value between 205
and 215 while it waits for X to hit 128. Once the satellite has settled, your
altitude will start to drop normally.
5.Once your altitude is under 210, close the Cargo Bay Doors. (If your altitude
was already stuck at a value below 210 while you were waiting for the satellite
to settle, close the Cargo Bay Doors as soon as your altitude starts dropping
normally).
6.Wait for the Reentry screen. If it takes longer than 30 seconds, the alarm
will sound (due to the doors being closed while in orbit). Ignore the alarm, as
it will stop as soon as the Reentry screen appears (you have 30 full seconds
and, furthermore, my method only consumes about 1500 fuel units if alarm-free,
so you have a very large margin for error).
-Standard Reentry and Final Approach. Good luck!

I’ve gotten this method down to a science and it works for me about 75% of the
time. About every fourth try there is a Mission Abort, and it is usually
related to the randomness of the altitude you are at after completing your last
docking (if your altitude is >215 or <205 when you first switch to your
altimeter, it might not work).