Nasa prototype hovers autonomously, in infraredThis roboticlander made staff in a Nasa control roomvery happy when it launched, flew and landed itself autonomously.While that's an impressive feat in itself, seeing the explosivelaunch in infrared is evenmore exciting.
Part of the Robotic Lander Development Project at Nasa'sMarshall Space Flight Centre in Alabama, the prototype is part ofan attempt to create landers not only capable of performing scienceand exploration research, but fit to cope with landing on airlessbodies, such as the Moon and near-Earthasteroids, without the need for aero-braking and parachutes.
In this flight, the robotic lander flew up to 2.13 metres for 27seconds, before landing safely. This proves it could control itsposition, orientation and hover independently. Despite thesesuccesses, however, this is just the start -- more flight tests areplanned for a lander to reach heights of up to 30 metres for arounda minute.