NASA laser technology to revolutionize spacecraft landing on extraterrestrial worlds

Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lunar lander carrying several NASA science and technology payloads, including the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), will launch to the Moon's South Pole later this month.

Developed by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, NDL is a guidance system that uses laser pulses to precisely measure velocity and distance. It has the potential to revolutionize landing spacecraft on extraterrestrial worlds.

During the IM-1 mission, NASA will demonstrate NDL's capabilities in the lunar environment. It will serve as a backup to Intuitive Machines' primary navigation and landing systems to ensure a precise touchdown on the Moon's surface.

Why laser?

NASA landers have traditionally relied on radar, using radio waves, for determining direction and speed. However, smaller craters and boulders that are commonly found on the Martian surface could hide from detection by traditional radio waves and cause unexpected hazards for landers.

"The landers needed the radar sensor to tell them how far they were off the ground and how fast they were moving so they could time their parachute deployment. Too early or too late, the lander would miss its target or crash into the surface," said Dr. Farzin Amzajerdian, NDL project manager at NASA Langley.

Additionally, radio waves cannot independently measure velocity and range, which is important, states Aram Gragossian, electro-optics lead for NDL at NASA Langley, who joined the team about six years ago.

NDL offers several advantages over radar. It uses a laser to measure altitude to within a few feet and relies on the Doppler effect to determine direction and speed to within a few centimeters per second, or less than one-tenth of a mile per hour.

To conclude, NASA's Artemis mission will take humans back to the Moon after more than 50 years and NASA's Navigation Doppler Lidar technology will ensure a safe landing and reduce overall cost.