Mighty Eagle

Mighty Eagle lander
Description Size Ref
Dry mass 207 kg [1]
Descent thrusters 3 total [1]
Descent thrust (each) 60 lbf [1]
ACS thrusters 12 total [1]
ACS thrust (each) 10 lbf [1]
Max propellant mass 116 kg [1]
Propellant H2O2 [2]
Pressurisation Nitrogen [3]
Height 4 ft [2]
Diameter 8 ft [2]
Payload 3D camera [4]

The Mighty Eagle (also known as the Warm Gas Test Article) is a Prototype Robotic Lander developed by NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.[2]

The vehicle is an autonomous flying testbed that is used for testing hardware, sensors and algorithms. These sensors and algorithms include such things as onboard cameras that, with specialized guidance, navigation and control software, could aid in the capture of orbiting space debris, in-space docking with a fuel depot, docking of a robotic lander with an orbiting command module and the rendezvous of multiple unmanned stages for deep space human exploration of the solar system.[5]

History

Initial software and hardware development were done on precursor vehicle called the Cold Gas Test Article which used compressed air as a propellant and had about 10 seconds of flight time. The knowledge gained from this development and testing was used in the design of the Mighty Eagle.[1]

The Mighty Eagle prototype lander was developed by the Marshall Center and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Key partners in this project include the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation, the Science Applications International Corporation, Dynetics Corporation and Teledyne Brown Engineering.[2]

The design of the vehicle began in late 2009 and integration was completed in January 2011. The vehicle was transported to an indoor test facility and bolted to the ground for initial testing, followed by free flight testing. Outdoor testing at another facility ran from August to November 2011. In 2012, a test area at MSFC was developed and the Mighty Eagle tested "Autonomous Rendezvous and Capture" technology. In 2013, enhancements were made including legs that are lighter by about 6.8 kg (15 lbs), a 3D stereo camera that allows the detection and avoidance of 3D (three dimensional) objects and an onboard image processor in preparation for "hazard avoidance" testing.[4] [6]

In July 2013 a hazard field (test area for the lander) consisting of 200 tons of lunar simulant began construction at the Marshall Space Flight Center.[7]

In August 2013 the hazard field was completed. The 3D camera was installed in an enclosure on the vehicle permitting the camera to be pointed at 3 different angles.[8]

After many tests (described below) the Mighty Eagle lander was put into "organization and storage" in December 2013. [9] Information from the NASA Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project (aka Mighty Eagle) was merged into the Lunar CATALYST initiative.[10]

For further details see Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project.[11]

The lander is named after the Mighty Eagle character in the "Angry Birds" game.[12]

Specifications

Three-legged "green" lander:[2]

For additional information see the Robotic Lunar Lander information pages.[2][17]

Engines

Main thruster of the NASA Mighty Eagle

The NASA Mighty Eagle produces thrust by the violent decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using silver as a catalyst.[18]

Peroxide decomposition catalyst plate in main thruster

Testing

Prior to the flight tests, each subsystem was testing individually including the propulsion system.[13]

Flight tests in 2011

Summer 2012 tests

- "These lander tests provide the data necessary to expand our capabilities to go to other 
destinations".[2]

2013 tests

A hazard field test area that simulates the lunar surface, including boulders, is being prepared.[28] Amongst the test software and hardware modifications was procurement of a quadcopter whose WIFI camera can film midflight.[29]

Further details about the tests and hardware can be found in the "Mighty Eagle: The Development and Flight Testing of an Autonomous Robotic Lander Test Bed" article in Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest.[3]

Video

Entire NASA MSFC Mighty Eagle YouTube playlist (official).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Barbara A. Cohen (February 6, 2012). "EAS Lander talk" (PDF). NASA's Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project. NASA. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "NASA's 'Mighty Eagle' Robotic Prototype Lander Flies Again at Marshall". NASA. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Timothy G. McGee, David A. Artis, Timothy J. Cole, Douglas A. Eng, Cheryl L. B. Reed, Michael R. Hannan, D. Greg Chavers, Logan D. Kennedy, Joshua M. Moore, and Cynthia D. Stemple (2013). "Mighty Eagle: The Development and Flight Testing of an Autonomous Robotic Lander Test Bed" (PDF). JOHNS HOPKINS APL TECHNICAL DIGEST 32 (3): 619–635. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "What's up, three-eyes? Here's the business side of our stereo camera (with optional 3rd camera)". NASA and Twitter. February 20, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  5. "NASA Historic Test Stands Make Way for New Reusable Robotic Lander Neighbour". NASA. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Old lander, new legs, with a weight savings of ~6.8 kg (15 lbs)!". NASA and Twitter. April 2, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  7. "Simulant Math". Twitter. NASA. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  8. "NASA Mighty Eagle postings in August 2013". Facebook. NASA. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  9. "With this (curved) picture, the organization and storage of Mighty Eagle hardware is complete! Now we wait...". Twitter. NASA. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  10. "Lunar CATALYST References". NASA website. NASA. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  11. "Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  12. 1 2 Lee Mohon, Jennifer Stanfield,. "NASA's 'Mighty Eagle' Robotic Prototype Lander Takes 100-Foot Free Flight". NASA. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  13. 1 2 "NASA Thruster Test Aids Future Robotic Lander’s Ability to Land Safely". NASA. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  14. "Twitter dated 10 April 2013 at 16:17 BST". Mighty Eagle. NASA and Twitter. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Mighty Eagle posts on Facebook in September 2013". Facebook. NASA. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Mighty Eagle gets a new view". NASA. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  17. 1 2 "Lunar Quest - Robotic". NASA. Archived from the original on December 27, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  18. "Here's our workhorse Earth Gravity Cancelling thruster with its heat shield removed for inspection.". NASA. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  19. "Robotic Lander Prototype". NASA. January 26, 2011. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  20. "Robotic Lander Prototype". NASA. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  21. "NASA's Robotic Lander Takes Flight". NASA. June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  22. "NASA's Robotic Lander Performs Second Free-Flight Test". NASA. June 21, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  23. "NASA's Next Generation Robotic Lander Gets Sideways During Test". NASA. August 23, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  24. "NASA Flies Robotic Lander Prototype to New Heights". NASA. November 21, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  25. Adam Mann. "NASA’s Newest Autonomous Lander Passes Flight Test". Wired.com. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  26. @NASAMightyEagle, ARC01A. "Tethered today, but not for long!". NASA. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  27. @NASAMightyEagle. "Mighty Eagle rocks the treetops!". NASA. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  28. "Mighty Eagle team having a hazard field meeting with the facilities office. The orange cones the future field.". NASA and Twitter. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  29. "Collage time: How could we improve test day video? Team with a quadcopter and have it shoot video midflight!". NASA and Twitter. April 2, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  30. "2013 is off to a great start for the Mighty Eagle team!". NASA and Twitter. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  31. Adam Kimberlin. "NASA Mighty Eagle Test Flight Video from UAV". NASA and YouTube. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  32. "Test was a success. Great a Job Team MSFC! Mighty Eagle has Flown and Landed!!!!". Twitter. NASA. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  33. "Mighty Eagle Hazard Avoidance Flight". YouTube. NASA. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  34. "Midair with no dust. Should have gotten a bunch of stereo camera pictures of the hazard field". Twitter - NASAMIGHTYEAGLE. NASA. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  35. "Three New ISS Residents on This Week @NASA ...". YouTube - NASAtelevision. NASA. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  36. "Mighty Eagle posts on Facebook in October 2013". Facebook. NASA. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  37. "Mighty Eagle Flight - Quadcopter stabilized video - 10/24/13". YouTube - Team Aero-M. NASA. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  38. "In more interesting news, we'll have a secondary payload from the Nanolaunch team on this flight (grey box in pic).". Twitter. NASA. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  39. "Mighty Eagle posts on Facebook in November 2013". Facebook. NASA. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  40. "3m altitude achieved". Twitter - NASA Mighty Eagle. NASA. Retrieved November 29, 2013.

External links

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