Also the distances the instruments
are required to operate from was a
average temperature on Mars for
Lasers were required to perform in
all types of lighting and environments.
were looking at, to get the improved
performance that they were looking
at, and to meet the requirements to
land at any time, they determined
that the lasers provided the best
the Doppler velocimeter, it’s a set
of three laser beams and that unit
itself improves the ability to measure
velocity on a spacecraft by almost
an order of magnitude, so an almost
10 fold improvement in the ability to
you need to keep it very cold, -253C
Navigation when you are up 10, 20 or
different than most space vehicles in
that Morpheus is powered by Liquid
combination of fuel is relatively safe
compared to other rocket fuels, it’s a
and it can provide up to 321 seconds
the current tanks on Morpheus.
going there would have to have
equipment, and fuel to run it, to keep
the LH2 chilled.
Using hypergols like the Space
Shuttle used for its Reaction Control
fuels very warm. Providing this heating
or cooling for the propellants would
require additional equipment on the
lander which adds additional weight
to the lander, which would have to
be offset by decreasing the payload.
Using liquid methane however, you
easier since the hazard associated
measure changes in velocity. So it’s
compared to most other rocket fuels.
in just that instrument by itself. Just that
instrument can make a big difference
it is not really hazardous outside of its
combustibility.
From a storage standpoint, liquid
methane does not boil off like liquid
robotic sample return mission, or
even a c rewed landing. One lander
carrying fuel as its payload could land
well before the actual mission lander
capable of placing an 1,100 pound
payload onto the Lunar surface.
ALHAT: Key Mission Facts
will navigate the descending craft to the “preautomated descent and landing system for planetary
lander craft.
• Precision landing will be based on a sophisticated,
surface-tracking sensor suite with real-time hazard
avoidance capabilities – assessing altitude and
velocity of the descending vehicle and the
topography of the landing site.
04
04
autonomously identify safe landing areas and help
guide the craft to touchdown.
procedure for safe planetary landing procedures – for
future crewed as well as robotic missions.
the harsh glare of an unshielded sun to the cloudy,
gaseous murk of a distant solar system body.
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