Astrobotic Technology has developed a preliminary version of flight software for precision guidance of its Griffin lander, as part of Nasa’s Lunar CATALYST programme.
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Developed using Nasa’s core flight software (CFS), the new tool will facilitate safe touchdown of the lander at a pit in the Lacus Mortis region on the Moon during Astrobotic’s first mission.
The CFS is a platform-independent suite comprising applications and mission-specific software.
The company has evaluated mission performance and fuel usage of Griffin using modelling and simulation tools approved by Nasa.
Using Nasa’s TRICK simulation environment, the team validated Griffin’s performance in various mission phases, including translunar injection (TLI) and lunar orbit capture, as well as targeted powered descent, and precision landing.
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By GlobalDataAstrobotic also used the agency’s JEOD for modelling the forces acting on Griffin in space, and EDGE for advanced 3D simulations.
Astrobotic chief technology officer Kevin Peterson said: "The simulation environment gives us confidence in Griffin’s ability to touch down safely.
"The partnership with Nasa under the CATALYST programme gives Astrobotic access to tools like CFS that have been flight-proven.
"These tools provide the developing commercial lunar industry with reliability that would otherwise take decades to develop."
During simulations, the flight version of the guidance software will be operated with estimates of propulsion performance and vehicle mass.
The future simulation versions will use data from Griffin engine flight tests and hot fire tests, as well as revised masses of flight hardware and payloads, the company said.
Astrobotic is one of the three companies selected by Nasa to advance lander capabilities that will allow delivery of payloads to the Moon.
