Lunar Lander Test Article Glides Above the Safety Net

(NASA) – NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is testing a new robotic lunar lander test bed that will aid in the development of a new generation of multi-use landers for future robotic space exploration. The test article is equipped with thrusters which function to guide the lander via closed- loop, autonomous flight algorithms.

One set of thrusters controls the vehicle’s attitude; another directs the altitude and landing. On the test lander, an additional thruster offsets the effect of Earth’s gravity, so the other thrusters can operate as they would in a lunar environment. MSFC is partnered with John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is testing a new robotic lunar lander test bed that will aid in the development of a new generation of multi-use landers for future robotic space exploration. Image Credit: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham