Morpheus, NASA, USA

The second free flight of a Morpheus prototype lander was conducted Dec. 17, 2013 at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 81-second test began at 1:37 p.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending about 164 feet, pausing briefly at 82 feet. The lander then flew forward, covering about 154 feet in 30 seconds before descending and landing on a dedicated landing pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) hazard field. Morpheus landed within 3.5 inches of its target. Project Morpheus tests NASA automated landing and hazard avoidance technology and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or "green" propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces.

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The Morpheus Team successfully completed the second free flight of the Bravo vehicle at the KSC SLF on Tuesday, December 17, 2013. The vehicle flew its pre-planned trajectory flawlessly, landing within 3.5 inches of its intended target. Morpheus ascended from the ground over the flame trench to an altitude of about 164 feet (50m), after pausing briefly at 82 feet (25m) to maintain the target ascent velocities. The vehicle then flew forward, covering about 154 feet (47m) in 30 seconds, before descending and landing on a dedicated landing pad inside the ALHAT Hazard Field. This was our highest and most ambitious test to date. As we continue free flights at KSC in January, we'll increase difficulty as we fly higher, farther and faster in 2014.

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On Friday August 3rd 2012, the Morpheus Team successfully flew it's first flight at Kennedy Space Center. This flight will lead the way to the first untethered flight of the Morpheus vehicle.

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The third free flight of a Morpheus prototype lander was conducted Jan. 16, 2014 at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 57-second test began at 1:15 p.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending about 187 feet. The lander then flew forward, covering about 154 feet in 20 seconds before descending and landing on a dedicated landing pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) hazard field. Morpheus landed within 11 inches of its target. Project Morpheus tests NASA automated landing and hazard avoidance technology and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or "green" propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces.

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The third free flight of a Morpheus prototype lander was conducted Jan. 16, 2014 at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 57-second test began at 1:15 p.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending about 187 feet. The lander then flew forward, covering about 154 feet in 20 seconds before descending and landing on a dedicated landing pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) hazard field. Morpheus landed within 11 inches of its target. Project Morpheus tests NASA automated landing and hazard avoidance technology and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or "green" propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces.

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NASA's Morpheus Team successfully completed Free Flight 5 (FF5) at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). FF5, the 3rd free flight of Morpheus' Bravo vehicle, was higher and faster than all previous flights. Bravo vehicle flew its pre-planned trajectory flawlessly, ascending quickly to 57 m (187 ft), traversing 47 m (154 ft) while descending, then landing ~11 inches from intended target in the Hazard Field about a minute after launch. The Morpheus Team again demonstrated engineering and operational excellence, relying upon training, experience, and discipline to ensure a successful FF5.

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A free flight test of a Morpheus prototype lander was conducted Jan. 21 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 64-second test began at 1:15 p.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending about 305 feet, significantly increasing the ascent velocity from the last test. Morpheus then flew forward, covering about 358 feet in 25 seconds before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) hazard field. Morpheus landed within 15 inches of its target.

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The multi-center Morpheus Team successfully completed Free Flight7 (FF7) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) on Minday, February 10, 2014. FF7, the 5th free flight of the Bravo vehicle, flew to 467 feet (142m), altitude and then traversed 637 feet (194m) in 30 seconds before landing in the hazard field. Initial data indicated a nominal flight meeting all test objectives. The vehicle flew its pre-planned trajectory flawlessly, reaching a max ascent velocity of 13 m/s, and landing with no appreciable deviation from its intended target 74 seconds after launch. The Morpheus Team again demonstrated engineering and operational excellence, relying upon training, discipline and experience to ensure today's success.

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The fifth free-flight test of a Morpheus prototype lander was conducted Feb. 10, 2014, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The 74-second test began around 1 p.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending at 42 feet per second to 467 feet, more than 160 feet higher than its last test. Morpheus then flew forward, covering 637 feet in 30 seconds before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) hazard field. Morpheus landed on target. There is one more test planned before the ALHAT system is installed on the vehicle, but the date of that flight has not yet been set. Morpheus tests NASA's automated landing and hazard avoidance technology and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or "green" propellants.

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The multi-center Morpheus Team successfully completed Free Flight8 (FF8) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) on Wednesday, March 5th, 2014. FF8, the 6th free flight of the Bravo vehicle, flew to 467 feet (142m), altitude and then traversed 637 feet (194m) in 36 seconds, including diverting course mid-flight, before landing in the hazard field 56 feet (17m) from its original target (simulating hazard avoidance). Initial data indicates a nominal flight meeting all test objectives. The vehicle flew its pre-planned trajectory flawlessly, as the attached images comparing actual to predicted trajectory shows, reaching a max ascent velocity of 13 m/s, and landing approximately 10in from its intended target 79 seconds after launch. The Morpheus Team again demonstrated engineering and operational excellence, relying upon training, discipline and experience to ensure today's success.

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A free flight test of a Morpheus prototype lander was conducted on March 11, 2014 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench. It ascended to 580 feet, its highest to date -- higher than the Washington Monument -- at a rate of 30 mph, its fastest ascent speed yet. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, a the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) hazard field. Morpheus touched down about one foot from its intended target.

Project Morpheus tests NASA's automated landing and hazard avoidance technology and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or "green" propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Morpheus and ALHAT are examples of the partnerships that exist within the agency since seven of the 10 NASA centers have contributed time, energy and resources to both.

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The Morpheus team successfully completed Free Flight 9 (FF9) the KSC SLF on Tuesday, March 11, 2014. This was the final flight before integration of ALHAT sensors on Bravo vehicle. FF9 was Morpheus' highest (177 m = 581 ft, higher than the VAB & Washington Monument), fastest (13.4 m/s = 30 mph vertical & horizontal) and farthest (255 m = 837 ft) flight to date.

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NASA MSFC's prototype planetary lander made its fastest (~30 mph) and highest ascent (580 feet) on March 11, 2014. The flight lasted 83-seconds and it touched down on a landing pad 837 feet 'downrange' from the launchpad.

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The Morpheus lander tried out a sophisticated hazard avoidance system March 27 during a flight test conducted with the unmanned lander suspended from a crane on a tether on the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The prototype lander has completed several free flight tests showing it could control itself through a takeoff, flight and landing. This test was performed to verify the lander's recently installed autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) sensors and integration systems would operate as planned. With the system confirmed, mission planners will begin working toward a free flight with Morpheus using the ALHAT system to steer past a field of boulders to a safe landing area in a test field.

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The multi-center, integrated Morpheus/ALHAT team successfully completed Tether Test 34 (TT34) the KSC SLF on Thursday, March 27, 2014. This was a necessary in-flight test of the complete Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) system on the Bravo vehicle before moving forward with the next series of Free Flights.

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NASA's prototype lander Morpheus successfully completed its 7th free flight at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 2. The lander, fueled by methane and oxygen, both considered "green" propellants, does not carry a crew, but is autonomously controlled and carries its own hazard avoidance system (ALHAT) to pick out safe landing spots. The craft ascended more than 800 feet before moving forward 1300 feet while its ALHAT sensors passively located safe sites for a descent and landing. In future flights ALHAT will take over and land Morpheus. The flight lasted about 96 seconds and continues the Johnson Space Center-based team's steady progress through the Morpheus test flight campaign.

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The Morpheus team successfully completed Free Flight 10 (FF10) the KSC SLF on Wednesday, April 2, 2014. This was the first free flight with ALHAT running in open-loop mode, imaging the Hazard Field and calculating navigation solutions in real time during flight, though not yet navigating the vehicle, i.e., Bravo GNC flew a pre-programmed trajectory as before.

Morpheus ascended to a max altitude of about 804 feet (245m), then flew forward and downward initially at a 30 degree glideslope, then leveling out some, covering a total of about 1334 feet (406.5m) horizontally in 50 seconds while diverting to a landing site location 78 feet (23.8m) from its initial target, before descending and landing on a dedicated landing pad at the front (south) of the ALHAT Hazard Field. The total flight time was ~96 sec, the longest flight to date.

Follow Morpheus on Twitter @MorpheusLander and on Facebook at facebook.com/MorpheusLander

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A free-flight test of the Morpheus prototype lander was conducted April 24 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 98-second test began at 3:20 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph.

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The Morpheus/ALHAT team successfully completed Free Flight 11 (FF1) at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) on Thursday, 24-Apr-2014, the Bravo vehicle's 9th and the ALHAT system's 2nd free flight test. In FF11, as in FF10, ALHAT operated in open-loop mode, imaging the Hazard Field and calculating navigation solutions in real time during flight, though not yet navigating the vehicle, meaning Bravo autonomously flew a pre-programmed trajectory as before. ALHAT engineers will use this flight data to continue tuning and improving their system performance. Successful open-loop ALHAT flights, including FF12 next week, will lead to closed-loop ALHAT free flights planned for late May, in which ALHAT will "take the stick", diverting Bravo from an initial "unsafe" landing point and navigating to a safe landing site within the Hazard Field at the KSC SLF.

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