TriDAR

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TriDAR is a visual navigation system developed by the Canadian space company Neptec and funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the American space agency (NASA). The system enables support for docking and undocking of unmanned spaceships in space. TriDAR works on a laser-based 3-D sensor and a thermal imaging camera. The TriDAR software uses the geometric information from the 3-D recordings to orientate itself on the contours of the object and calculates the exact position from this.

TriDAR tested for the first time on board the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 mission , which launched on August 28, 2009. The system supported the astronauts during the rendezvous and the docking maneuver at the International Space Station (ISS) . The system successfully captured the space station based on its shape and calculated the required data. The test was the first time that a 3-D sensor system had been used in space.

STS-128

TriDAR on the space shuttle on the STS-128 mission

During the mission, the TriDAR system was installed on the Space Shuttle Discovery on Mission-128. The aim of the test was to be able to detect objects in space with the TriDAR system without the help of classic target reflectors. The TriDAR system was installed in the shuttle's loading bay near the Orbiter Docking System (ODS). The system was put into operation during the rendezvous with the International Space Station at a distance of 75 kilometers. The system independently recorded the space station, calculated the optimal docking measures and made the information available to the astronauts in the shuttle.

STS-131

TriDAR during the STS-131 mission

The second use of the TriDAR was on board the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-131 mission . The TriDAR system was used during the docking maneuver at the space station and provided helpful information up to the shuttle R-bar pitch maneuver.

STS-135

The TriDAR was deployed aboard the space shuttle Atlantis during the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

Other possible uses

TriDAR on the Scarab lunar rover

The system can be used in many ways. The TriDAR system can be used for rendezvous, docking maneuvers, landings on planets, rover navigation and other areas of application. The usability of the system for planetary exploration has already been demonstrated in test areas of the American space agency (NASA) and the Canadian space agency (CSA) in Hawaii. To do this, a TriDAR system was installed on a Scarab Lunar Rover from Carnegie Mellon University . The rover automatically navigated to the destination. On arrival at the destination, 3-D images of the surroundings were made with the TriDAR system in order to find the best area for drilling to take samples.

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