Morpheus project

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Morpheus
Morpheus
Type: Prototype of a lander
Operator: National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA NASA
Mission dates
Starting place: KSC
Status: in testing
Orbit data

The Morpheus project is a test for an autonomous, reusable and rocket-propelled aircraft that can take off vertically and land again. The aim of this project is to develop a device with comparably low financial resources that can land independently on the moon, an asteroid or even Mars. Spending between 2009 and 2013 was approximately $ 12.5 million. The project is led by NASA ; the most important partner is the commercial company Armadillo Aerospace .

technology

The Morpheus Lander

In contrast to common fuels, Morpheus uses a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and methane . This has two major advantages over the energetically better mix of LOX / LH :

  • Long storage in space is possible for longer missions or in fuel depots.
  • On Mars, methane could be extracted from the surface.

First tests

During the first tests, Morpheus was still secured by a crane so that the hardware could be tested without having to risk losing the aircraft. These tests took place at the Johnson Space Center .

Free flight tests

Morpheus Lander accident on August 9, 2012
First start of the Morpheus December 10, 2013

In August 2012, the first free flight took place on the new test site near the Shuttle Landing Facility on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The attempt failed and resulted in a crash. In December 2013 and January 2014 the tests were successful and showed that this hardware works. Two more tests were planned for February 2014.

The lander's autonomous system is to be checked in further tests. The Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) is designed to automatically maneuver the lander from a hilly landing area to a safe landing region.

Web links

NASA: Project Morpheus (English)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ William Harwood: Small test vehicle veers out of control, crashes at KSC. Spaceflight Now, August 9, 2012, accessed January 24, 2014 .
  2. ↑ a b Stephen Clark: Morpheus lander cruises through initial flight tests. Spaceflight Now, January 23, 2014, accessed January 24, 2014 .