diff --git a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
index b5be93f1c..85bb0badf 100644
--- a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
+++ b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
@@ -1678,9 +1678,9 @@ error, about one to two screen pixels per texel). It asks for at most 12
 tiles at a time through Cesium's request scheduler, throttled per server and
 at the lowest priority, so a request is declined while the imagery server's
 slots are taken by the tiles on screen and is the first dropped when the
-scheduler is full (a declined or failed tile is asked for again later); it remembers the last 512 tiles asked for and does not ask
-for those again, starts over on another base map, and cancels the requests
-still pending on exit. Across the track it samples the centre line, a third
+scheduler is full (a declined or dropped tile is asked for again later, one that failed to load is not); it remembers the last 512 tiles asked for and does not ask
+for those again, starts over on another base map (cancelling the old map's
+pending requests), and cancels the requests still pending on exit. Across the track it samples the centre line, a third
 out and the frame's edges. While tilted off nadir the view looks away from
 the track, and with the world clock more than a minute from now (paused or
 played back) it will not pass where the look-ahead points, so nothing is
diff --git a/src/cockpitOrbital.js b/src/cockpitOrbital.js
index 3c9a8233c..7f13dc497 100644
--- a/src/cockpitOrbital.js
+++ b/src/cockpitOrbital.js
@@ -596,6 +596,25 @@ export const ORBITAL_PREFETCH_ACROSS = Object.freeze([
   1 / 2,
 ]);
 
+/**
+ * The points ahead, regrouped by their place across the track: every lead's
+ * centre point first, then each lead's next pair out, so the tile cap trims
+ * the frame's edges before it trims the far leads.
+ * @param {Array<{lat: number, lon: number}>} points From `groundTrackAhead`,
+ *   lead by lead.
+ * @param {number} [across] Points per lead.
+ * @returns {Array<{lat: number, lon: number}>}
+ */
+export function centreLinesFirst(
+  points,
+  across = ORBITAL_PREFETCH_ACROSS.length,
+) {
+  const out = [];
+  for (let k = 0; k < across; k += 1)
+    for (let i = k; i < points.length; i += across) out.push(points[i]);
+  return out;
+}
+
 /** At most this many tile requests per look-ahead. */
 export const ORBITAL_PREFETCH_MAX_TILES = 12;
 
diff --git a/src/cockpitOrbital.test.mjs b/src/cockpitOrbital.test.mjs
index d3c76b164..a5db3b8c4 100644
--- a/src/cockpitOrbital.test.mjs
+++ b/src/cockpitOrbital.test.mjs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   nextOrbitalZoom,
   offNadirAngleDeg,
   offNadirCentreMeetsEarth,
+  centreLinesFirst,
   offNadirSwathScale,
   orbitalMaxZoom,
   sensorStripFraction,
@@ -592,3 +593,26 @@ test('a view tilted past the limb no longer meets the Earth', () => {
   assert.equal(offNadirCentreMeetsEarth(420_000, { eastDeg: 80 }), false);
   assert.equal(offNadirCentreMeetsEarth(NaN, {}), false);
 });
+
+test('the centre line of every lead comes before the frame edges', () => {
+  const points = groundTrackAhead(PASS, 20);
+  const across = ORBITAL_PREFETCH_ACROSS.length;
+  const ordered = centreLinesFirst(points);
+  assert.equal(ordered.length, points.length);
+  const leads = ORBITAL_PREFETCH_LEAD_S.length;
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    ordered.slice(0, leads),
+    points.filter((_, i) => i % across === 0),
+  );
+  // The 12-tile cap at a level of small tiles still reaches the far lead.
+  const mercator = new Cesium.WebMercatorTilingScheme();
+  const tiles = tilesForPoints(mercator, ordered, 17);
+  const far = mercator.positionToTileXY(
+    Cesium.Cartographic.fromDegrees(
+      ordered[leads - 1].lon,
+      ordered[leads - 1].lat,
+    ),
+    17,
+  );
+  assert.ok(tiles.some((tile) => tile.x === far.x && tile.y === far.y));
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.js b/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.js
index c54231b64..2482920f0 100644
--- a/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.js
+++ b/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { formatNumber, msg, t } from '../i18n/index.js';
 import {
   ORBITAL_DEFAULT_ZOOM,
   ORBITAL_PREFETCH_INTERVAL_MS,
+  centreLinesFirst,
   ORBITAL_PREFETCH_MAX_TILES,
   ORBITAL_PREFETCH_MIN_ZOOM,
   ORBITAL_SETTLE_BLUR_PX,
@@ -404,8 +405,12 @@ export function prefetchImageryAhead(info, nowMs) {
     const provider = baseImageryProvider(this.viewer);
     if (!provider) return 0;
     // Another base map: its tiles have not been asked for.
+    // A fresh set, so a late failure from the old map's requests cannot
+    // drop a tile the new one has fetched.
     if (provider !== state.prefetchProvider) {
-      state.prefetched.clear();
+      for (const request of state.prefetchRequests) request.cancel?.();
+      state.prefetchRequests = new Set();
+      state.prefetched = new Set();
       state.prefetchProvider = provider;
     }
     const fov = fovForZoom(orbitalBaseFovRad(info.altitudeM), state.zoom);
@@ -440,7 +445,7 @@ export function prefetchImageryAhead(info, nowMs) {
     const memory = state.prefetched;
     const tiles = tilesForPoints(
       provider.tilingScheme,
-      groundTrackAhead(info, viewKm),
+      centreLinesFirst(groundTrackAhead(info, viewKm)),
       level,
       {
         maxTiles: ORBITAL_PREFETCH_MAX_TILES,
@@ -477,10 +482,12 @@ export function prefetchImageryAhead(info, nowMs) {
       requests.add(request);
       Promise.resolve(pending).then(
         () => requests.delete(request),
-        () => {
+        (error) => {
           requests.delete(request);
-          // Failed or dropped by the scheduler: asked again later.
-          memory.delete(tile.key);
+          // Dropped by the scheduler (rejected with no error): asked again
+          // later. A tile that failed to load stays remembered, so one
+          // missing from the map is not asked for every look-ahead.
+          if (error === undefined) memory.delete(tile.key);
         },
       );
       memory.add(tile.key);
@@ -612,16 +619,18 @@ export function publishOrbitalView(info, transition = IDLE_TRANSITION) {
   // republishes on its cadence, so the swath appears once the view arrives.
   // Exact angles here, not the whole degrees the readout rounds to.
   const target = clampOrbitalLook(state.lookTarget);
+  // The eased view is tested even with the target at nadir: on the way back
+  // from past the limb it still looks into space.
   const seesEarth =
-    !offset ||
-    (offNadirCentreMeetsEarth(info.altitudeM, {
-      northDeg: target.pitchDeg,
-      eastDeg: target.yawDeg,
-    }) &&
+    (!offset ||
       offNadirCentreMeetsEarth(info.altitudeM, {
-        northDeg: state.lookView?.pitchDeg ?? 0,
-        eastDeg: state.lookView?.yawDeg ?? 0,
-      }));
+        northDeg: target.pitchDeg,
+        eastDeg: target.yawDeg,
+      })) &&
+    offNadirCentreMeetsEarth(info.altitudeM, {
+      northDeg: state.lookView?.pitchDeg ?? 0,
+      eastDeg: state.lookView?.yawDeg ?? 0,
+    });
   this.publishOrbital({
     name: info.name,
     classLabel: info.classLabel || '',
diff --git a/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.test.mjs b/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.test.mjs
index 67d1656fd..36f850240 100644
--- a/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.test.mjs
+++ b/src/ui/cockpitOrbitalView.test.mjs
@@ -1510,7 +1510,7 @@ test('a SAR swath reads but draws no strip under nadir', async (t) => {
   assert.equal(store.orbital.sensor.stripFraction, null);
 });
 
-test('exit cancels pending pre-loads, and a failed one is asked again', async (t) => {
+test('exit cancels pending pre-loads, and a dropped one is asked again', async (t) => {
   const { cockpit, viewer, store, clock } = await orbitAt(t, {
     satellite: WORLDVIEW_ON_TRACK,
   });
@@ -1520,7 +1520,8 @@ test('exit cancels pending pre-loads, and a failed one is asked again', async (t
   imageryGlobe(viewer, {
     requestImage: (x, y, level, request) => {
       asked.push(`${level}/${x}/${y}`);
-      if (fail) return Promise.reject(new Error('dropped'));
+      // Cesium's scheduler drops a request by rejecting with no error.
+      if (fail) return Promise.reject(undefined);
       pending.push(request);
       return new Promise(() => {});
     },
@@ -1555,3 +1556,51 @@ test('the pre-load waits while the world clock is away from now', async (t) => {
   cockpit.update();
   assert.deepEqual(requests, []);
 });
+
+test('a tile that fails to load is not asked again', async (t) => {
+  const { cockpit, viewer, store, clock } = await orbitAt(t, {
+    satellite: WORLDVIEW_ON_TRACK,
+  });
+  const asked = [];
+  imageryGlobe(viewer, {
+    requestImage: (x, y, level) => {
+      asked.push(`${level}/${x}/${y}`);
+      return Promise.reject(new Error('404'));
+    },
+  });
+  for (let i = 0; i < 4; i += 1) press(cockpit, '+');
+  assert.equal(store.orbital.zoom, 16);
+  clock.advance(ORBITAL_PREFETCH_INTERVAL_MS);
+  cockpit.update();
+  await settle();
+  const first = asked.length;
+  assert.ok(first > 0);
+  clock.advance(ORBITAL_PREFETCH_INTERVAL_MS);
+  cockpit.update();
+  assert.equal(new Set(asked).size, asked.length, 'none asked twice');
+});
+
+test('back to nadir from past the limb, the sensor waits for the view', async (t) => {
+  const { cockpit, store, clock } = await orbitAt(t, {
+    satellite: GEO_IMAGER,
+    reducedMotion: false,
+  });
+  for (let step = 0; step < 3; step += 1) press(cockpit, 'ArrowRight');
+  for (let i = 0; i < 30; i += 1) {
+    clock.advance(100);
+    cockpit.update();
+  }
+  await settle();
+  assert.equal(store.orbital.sensor, null, 'looking into space');
+  press(cockpit, 'Home');
+  clock.advance(16);
+  cockpit.update();
+  await settle();
+  assert.equal(store.orbital.sensor, null, 'still easing back');
+  for (let i = 0; i < 30; i += 1) {
+    clock.advance(100);
+    cockpit.update();
+  }
+  await settle();
+  assert.ok(store.orbital.sensor, 'back on the Earth');
+});