Moon Express team at NASA using ArduCopter as lunar lander testbed
From famed venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson:
A quad ‘copter from Chris Anderson, with Go-Pro underbody gimbal and a sensor array for landing that is so very clever in the repurposing of consumer hardware to replace expensive and heavy radar units like they used on Apollo. A great way to test the control algorithms for automated landing. Like Apollo, the landing would occur at lunar daybreak (maximum shadows for surface feature contrast, and a 14 day window of solar flux).
The tech challenge I am working on is how to survive the 14 day lunar night at -150°C. Batteries freeze rather destructively. The only Apollo instruments to survive the night had nuclear batteries (like Curiosity). I am thinking Solar Junction solar cells, Everspin rad-hard/soft-error-immune MRAM, and a super cap or maybe LiIon electrolyte from eSionic which might survive the temp cycling. Or perhaps a Solicore solid electrolyte from ORNL. Has anyone tested the other elements (processor, PCB interconnect) through those extreme temp cycles?
Part of a very fun update tour of Moon Express at NASA Ames today.
It's simulating something similar to this:
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Developer Comment by R_Lefebvre on December 19, 2012 at 7:25am -
Are they using our code, or just the hardware?
If they are using the code, and testing automated landing, wait till they try 2.9!
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3D Robotics Comment by Alan Sanchez on December 19, 2012 at 8:32am -
That is pretty awesome! and yeah for auto land on 2.9 they won't need any more "testing".
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Comment by Tim - Arduino for Visual Studio on December 19, 2012 at 9:40am -
Excellent and I'll be testing auto land over the xmas break. That will be fun :)
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Comment by Bob Richards on December 19, 2012 at 9:55am -
We're extremely happy with the DIY ArduCopter at Moon Express ... it's turned out to be a fantastic GNC rapid development platform for our spacecraft engineers... we look forward to sharing/collaborating as we reach for the Moon!
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Comment by Mike Thorlin on December 19, 2012 at 9:55am -
Chris,
This is exactly the sort of thing that I mentioned in our earlier correspondence. While your products are looked at as the desired end result for hobbists, they are at the same time providing great tools for the professionals, streamlining the R&D process, breaking down barriers to innovation.
Outstanding!
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Comment by Ron Perry on December 19, 2012 at 12:06pm -
Chris,
Can you tell us a bit more about the sensor array? Just curious if it's the MaxSonar or Optical flow, both or multiple of each? Cool to think I have pretty much the same thing before NASA! Good going to everyone at DIYDrones!
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Distributor Comment by Guto Santaella on December 19, 2012 at 12:07pm -
that's that's what we mean!
Congratulations!
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Developer Comment by R_Lefebvre on December 19, 2012 at 3:23pm -
So how exactly do you use sonar on the moon? ;)
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Comment by Tim Wilkin on December 19, 2012 at 4:22pm -
You use the same tricks as when you solved the problem of using propellers for lift on the moon! ;)
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Comment by Darren on December 19, 2012 at 5:44pm -
I wonder if (MIT) Prof. Sadoway's liquid metal battery would be a potential solution for the long term power storage needs Vs nuclear batteries.
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