Ace Combat 8 Mission 21 Intact Princess: protect the shuttle and check the medal

Choose one reported setup

Gamerch commenter prflbta6 (#5) reports earning the medal by using QAAM to remove two aircraft, then standard missiles with a reload-reduction setup for the others. Repeat that rotation rather than waiting idle for special ammunition. The report flags ammunition as the limitation.

A separate success, ga4fdjdz (#13), uses FA-36 with SASM and SOD on Ace. Choose the approach supported by equipment you own. These are alternatives; they are not a combined compulsory build, and the Ace report does not prove Ace is required. Check equipped parts before launching.

Keep the next attack on the launch site in view

1. Identify the shuttle and control center before committing to a distant target. The mission requires their protection.
2. Prioritize aircraft and ships heading toward the launch facilities. After each engagement, reassess the next threat instead of automatically following an escaping fighter.
3. When reinforcements approach the base, interrupt a discretionary chase and intercept them. Comment #8 specifically calls out the Su-34 wave; do not interpret that comment as permission to abandon later defense.
4. Use Magnolia’s later ESM support and preserve ammunition for the remaining countdown. The mission guide identifies an eastern airfield for resupply; use a lull rather than leaving during an immediate attack.
5. Continue until the launch sequence and mission finish. Then verify the award before calling the attempt successful.

For the north/south attacks, PowerPyx’s Mission 21 route goes north and accepts the split-up prompt, sending wingmen south. Clear the northern A-10 group, return toward the shuttle and intercept remaining attackers. It repeats the split for the next north/south wave. This is a published S-rank route that helps allocate defense, not an independent demonstration of Intact Princess.

The priority checks are an editorial way to apply the sources, not a timed route we have flown. There is no verified compulsory kill order or ammunition count here.

Check Intact Princess separately from rank

Open Data Viewer → Campaign Data → Campaign Medals and look for Intact Princess, as listed in PowerPyx’s medal guide. A successful launch, mission completion and an S rank answer different questions; use the named award as the final check.

Gamerch #4 reports receiving the medal despite seeing several hits, without establishing exactly what was hit. That does not demonstrate that the shuttle can take a particular amount of damage. Likewise, #8’s narrower wave interpretation is not a controlled test of every later attack. Plan to prevent damage throughout; do not restart solely because an ambiguous radio line or explosion sounded bad.

If the mission clears without the medal

Review where you lost coverage: a long pursuit, a resupply trip during an attack, or an exhausted missile rotation. On the next attempt, change the relevant decision and keep the difficulty and loadout recorded so the comparison remains useful. If the failure was ammunition, address that before adding an unrelated target-hunting objective.

Keep the result screen, game version and the moment you believe the shuttle was attacked. The checked reports do not establish a checkpoint reset that erases objective damage. For an ace-collection attempt, consult the separate assault-record conditions; this medal page does not promise both rewards in one run.