ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2009) — 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.

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Adapted from materials provided by NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center.

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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. (Credit: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham)

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