Space

Precision planetary lander technology tested by NASA

Precision planetary lander technology tested by NASA
The ADAPT vehicle flew to an altitude of 1,066 ft before descending using LVS and G-FOLD landing technologies (Photo: NASA)
The ADAPT vehicle flew to an altitude of 1,066 ft before descending using LVS and G-FOLD landing technologies (Photo: NASA)
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The ADAPT demonstration vehicle has recently tested LVS and G-FOLD landing technologies (Photo: NASA)
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The ADAPT demonstration vehicle has recently tested LVS and G-FOLD landing technologies (Photo: NASA)
NASA carried out two test flights of the ADAPT on December 4 and 9, 2014 at the space agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California (Photo: NASA)
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NASA carried out two test flights of the ADAPT on December 4 and 9, 2014 at the space agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California (Photo: NASA)
The ADAPT platform flew to an altitude of altitude of 1,066 ft (325 m) (Photo: NASA)
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The ADAPT platform flew to an altitude of altitude of 1,066 ft (325 m) (Photo: NASA)
The ADAPT vehicle flew to an altitude of 1,066 ft before descending using LVS and G-FOLD landing technologies (Photo: NASA)
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The ADAPT vehicle flew to an altitude of 1,066 ft before descending using LVS and G-FOLD landing technologies (Photo: NASA)
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In anticipation of more ambitious planetary missions, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, in collaboration with Masten Space Systems in Mojave, California, has recently been testing new landing technologies using an Autonomous Descent and Ascent Powered-flight Testbed (ADAPT). Aimed at developing new systems for landing on Mars and other planets with much greater precision, a new imaging landing system and algorithm were tested using the demonstration vehicle on two successful flights.

Making a precision landing on Earth from space is a remarkable achievement, but for a robotic probe landing on another planet without the benefit of ground control, GPS, or navigation beacons, that's another matter entirely. Relying on pre-programmed instructions and onboard instruments, landers like Curiosity must settle for aiming at ellipses covering hundreds of square miles. Also, because landers don't include imaging systems for controlling navigation, they are literally flying blind.

According to JPL, the ADAPT platform is based on Masten's XA-0.1B "Xombie" vertical-launch, vertical-landing reusable rocket, which approximates the high-speed low-altitude descent rates of a Mars landing. For the recent tests, the ADAPT was equipped with a pair of new technologies designed to autonomously zero in on its destination in real time and guide it to the landing site.

NASA carried out two test flights of the ADAPT on December 4 and 9, 2014 at the space agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California (Photo: NASA)
NASA carried out two test flights of the ADAPT on December 4 and 9, 2014 at the space agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California (Photo: NASA)

The Lander Vision System (LVS) uses terrain relative navigation to determine its location. It does this by capturing a series of images, which it compares to those in its memory to guide it to the landing point. The Guidance for Fuel-Optimal Large Diverts (G-FOLD) algorithm, which was developed by JPL and the University of Texas at Austin, uses onboard sensor information to calculate in real time the best path to the landing site and pilots the craft along it. In addition, JPL says that G-FOLD selects its trajectory for maximum performance from the propellant.

NASA carried out two test flights of the ADAPT on December 4 and 9, 2014 at the space agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. During this, the platform reached an altitude of 1,066 ft (325 m) before descending using LVS and G-FOLD. This allowed the rocket to make a precision landing on a pad 984 ft (300 m) east of the launch site.

"This represents a huge step forward in our future capabilities for safe and precise Mars landing, and demonstrates a highly effective approach for rapid, low-cost validation of new technologies for the entry, descent and landing of spacecraft," says Chad Edwards, chief technologist of the Mars Exploration Directorate at JPL. "This same technology has valuable applications to landing on the moon, asteroids and other space targets of interest."

The video below shows the ADAPT system in action.

Source: NASA

Successful Test Flight for Mars Landing Technology

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3 comments
3 comments
bobcat4424
Wow --- NASA has invented the Grasshopper ---- only a few years after SpaceX. Why not just ask Elon Musk how to do it instead of spending milions of taxpayer dollars playing catchup.
John Enrietto
That will be great if they can land square on the clean concrete pad we have poured ahead of time on Mars. How will it work land on a sandbed?
Stevek
What seems to be different is NASA is testing optical landing technologies which is directly applicable to Mars, from what I remember Space X uses GPS and is probably why it is so hard to land on a GPS held barge! As longs as there is unique visual cues on Mars in the desired landing location (which there appears to be) and the previous robot missions showed there is only a few inches of loose soil in certain parts then this system should work. This system will have to be scaled a little bigger to included the bigger fuel tanks and payload so therefore will have larger landing legs. This new system is exactly what Mars One is wanting to use for their ambitious missions if they ever occur (sorry applicants).
And by the way Armadillo Aerospace was testing this landing system years before SpaceX and on a very small budget.