Morpheus Test Firings Continue at JSC
NASA Video: Morpheus Tether Test #16
“The Morpheus vertical test bed successfully executed a 16th tether test on June 11, 2012. This was the first flight after the team integrated ALHAT (Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology) into the vehicle.”
They cancelled today’s flight (Thursday 14 June 2012) due to communications problems. I hope Project Morpheus tries again on Friday.
What’s the point of all this? Unmanned landing on a planet is in JPL’s charter and expertise domain, not JSC’s. What future JSC mission (in the next 25 years or so) does this support?
So why not have a lander?
Yeah, JSC/NASA – don’t you know you’re supposed to start your R&D work after its identified to be in the critical path of a mission? You know, when the program doesn’t have time or money for it.
We do not know what missions NASA will be doing over the next 25 years.
A half tonne payload lander can put sophisticated rovers and probes on the Moon and Mars. It may even be possible to deliver mining equipment.
On manned missions the lander could deliver about 2 months food, or other consumables, to the moon. The rocket engine has been sized to lift the manned ascent stage.