One Giant Leap for Lunar Landing Navigation

NASA is relying on the most advanced technology to upgrade navigation capabilities for the next crewed mission to return astronauts to the Moon in 2024 and future human missions to Mars.

A terrain relative navigation system developed by Draper Laboratory was flight tested on Masten Space Systems’ Xodiac rocket on Sept. 11, 2019. Footage shows the flight of the navigation system on the rocket and interviews with principal investigators and Masten.

The agency is using commercial companies’ vehicles through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program to flight test navigation sensors and related technologies that falls under a larger effort now referred to as SPLICE, or the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution project.

NASA’s Game Changing Development program is funding SPLICE to enable technology solutions such as future spacecraft system landing and hazard avoidance capabilities for deep space.

For more information on the flight and technology: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spa...