NASA autonomous lander completes test flight
JUN 27, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025410
Daily Mail : Earlier this month a robotic lander successfully flew up to 7 feet for 27 seconds during testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The lander, about the size of a golf cart, is powered by a green propellant, hydrogen peroxide. The test proved the lander could execute commands autonomously, such as hover for an extended period, control its position and orientation, and land successfully. Such unmanned vehicles are being designed to perform science and exploration research on the surface of the Moon and other airless bodies, including near-Earth asteroids, where aero-braking and parachutes won’t work.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
