Project Morpheus Tether Test 21

This was "the first tether test of the v1.5b," Project Morpheus Bravo vehicle. The video runs about 29 seconds.

"We had a good ignition and climb. However, as the vehicle attempted to stabilize itself it exceeded the internally set boundary limit causing a soft abort."

Related Posts:
Morpheus Unit B first fully integrated hot fire test (May 6, 2013)
Morpheus and ALHAT teams, still hard at work (February 11, 2013)
Morpheus employs ALHAT in teather test #16 (June 13, 2012)
Project Morpheus lander - Soft Abort Test (May 11, 2012)
Morpheus Tether Test #10 (April 9, 2012)
Morpheus Tether Test #8 (March 14, 2012)
Project Morpheus methane Hot Fire Test #5 (February 29, 2012)
Morpheus lander in tethered flight tests (May 7, 2011)

 

Morpheus Unit B first fully integrated hot fire test

Project Morpheus Hot Fire Test #8: On May 1, the Morpheus concept lander "Bravo Unit" was tested in a "hot fire" configuration, the first fully-integrated test of this second Unit. Built by Armadillo Aerospace, with the aim of developing a cutting edge vehicle for soft-landing 500 kg. payloads on the Moon, Unit A was lost following the failure of a real-time inertia measurement unit in August 2012.

Related Posts:
Morpheus and ALHAT teams, still hard at work (February 11, 2013)
Morpheus employs ALHAT in teather test #16 (June 13, 2012)
Project Morpheus lander - Soft Abort Test (May 11, 2012)
Morpheus Tether Test #10 (April 9, 2012)
Morpheus Tether Test #8 (March 14, 2012)
Project Morpheus methane Hot Fire Test #5 (February 29, 2012)
Morpheus lander in tethered flight tests (May 7, 2011)

Morpheus lunar lander in tethered flight tests

Second Morpheus Test Firing, May 6, 2011 [NASA/Joe Bibby].

Brittany Sauser
Technology Review/MIT

Project Morpheus is making subtle, but noisy, progress at NASA. The experimental spacecraft is designed to carry cargo to the moon, an asteroid, or Mars, but the model shown here will never actually land on such surfaces. It is being used to test new technologies, such as propulsion, guidance, navigation, and control systems, and optical sensors that would allow for a safe descent and landing.

Morpheus recently conducted its first tethered flights at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston (see the video below) and will be taking its first untethered flight this month, making it the first prototype spacecraft to fly at JSC since before man walked on the moon.

Morpheus is also testing a new, greener propellant, liquid oxygen and methane. The mixture is cheaper, lighter, and safer than than traditional spacecraft fuels. It can also be stored for longer periods of time in space, and the methane could perhaps even be made from ice on the moon or Mars.

Read the Article, HERE.

Chariot - First Lunar Truck Prototype Completed

In preparation for the US led effort to build a lunar outpost, NASA has completed the first lunar truck prototype, named Chariot. Realizing the importance of crew and payload mobility on the lunar surface, the Exploration Technology Development Program's Human-Robotics Systems Project set out, in Apollo-like style, to build a lunar truck and the team that could shepherd future lunar truck efforts. With only one year to design, manufacture, and assemble Chariot, NASA, teamed with companies from all across America, conquered the challenge.

Videos and Derails From Chariot