Lift Off for a Robotic Lunar Lander
NASA tests a new power system.
This week, NASA and Johns Hopkins University tested a new propulsion system for a prototype robotic lander they are jointly developing. While the robot didn’t leave the ground, the “hot-fire” tests successfully verified the performance of its thrusters.
The propulsion system was developed by Dynetics Corp, an engineering company in Huntsville, Alabama. According the NASA press release:
The prototype’s new propulsion system consists of 12 small attitude control thrusters, three primary descent thrusters to control the vehicle’s altitude, and one large “gravity-canceling” thruster which offsets a portion of the prototype’s weight to simulate a lower gravity environment, like that of the moon and asteroids. The prototype uses a green propellant, hydrogen peroxide, in a stronger concentration of a solution commonly used in homes as a disinfectant. The by-products after use are water and oxygen.
The robotic lunar lander is part of a larger NASA project to develop smart, versatile, and autonomous robots that can explore the moon and near-Earth asteroids. The agency’s goal for the robotic lunar lander prototype is for it to fly up to 60 seconds with a controlled landing in a simulated low gravity environment. Flight tests began in 2009 and thus far 142 have been conducted. The robotic lander currently has a record flight time of ten seconds and a descent altitude of three meters.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.