By Alice Vincent, Wired UK

This robotic lander made staff in a NASA control room very happy when it launched, flew and landed itself autonomously. While that’s an impressive feat in itself, seeing the explosive launch in infrared is even more exciting.

Part of the Robotic Lander Development Project at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, the prototype is part of an attempt to create landers not only capable of performing science and exploration research, but fit to cope with landing on airless bodies, such as the Moon and near-Earth asteroids, without the need for aero-braking and parachutes.

In this flight, the robotic lander flew up to 2.13 meters for 27 seconds, before landing safely. This proves it could control its position, orientation and hover independently.  Despite these successes, however, this is just the start — more flight tests are planned for a lander to reach heights of up to 30 meters for around a minute.

Video and image: NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center

Source: Wired.co.uk

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