NASA'S ROBOTIC LUNAR LANDER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: INITIAL FLIGHT TESTING RESULTS OF A ROBOTIC LUNAR LANDER TEST-BED

摘要

Since early 2005, the Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project, a joint effort of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), has been conducting mission studies and performing risk reduction activities in support of the Lunar Quest Program, a lunar science research program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate. As part of this effort, MSFC and APL are working with the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation (VCSI) to construct a monopropellant powered robotic lander test-bed. This paper provides an overview of the lander architecture, describes the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system, and summarizes the results of the successfully completed indoor flight tests and plans for upcoming outdoor tests.