Author Topic: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread  (Read 315161 times)

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #20 on: 06/04/2011 03:55 pm »
When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

When someone finds (and funds) a real mission to send it on
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Offline KelvinZero

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #21 on: 06/04/2011 04:45 pm »
When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

When someone finds (and funds) a real mission to send it on

That's what I expected :P

Wos just wondering if there had been any movement on any of the proposals, or if this progress implied anything towards them.

Offline Downix

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #22 on: 06/04/2011 04:58 pm »
As a amazing people, it is great to see progress on anything that looks like a moon lander :)

When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

It is part of Project M, same with Robonaut.  If they get approval, they may have a full mission late next year or the year after.
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline Patchouli

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #23 on: 06/04/2011 05:27 pm »
It looks like if they can get funding a lander mission should come of this.
I wonder will the humanoid robot be the only robot on the lander or will it also carry a more conventional wheeled rover.


Offline jongoff

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #24 on: 06/04/2011 08:37 pm »
As a amazing people, it is great to see progress on anything that looks like a moon lander :)

When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

It is part of Project M, same with Robonaut.  If they get approval, they may have a full mission late next year or the year after.

Remember though that funding for flight demonstration missions like this was gutted to help pay for SLS/MPCV.  I'd be really surprised if they were able to get the money they'd need to turn this into an actual flight mission.

~Jon

Offline Jorge

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #25 on: 06/04/2011 08:54 pm »
As a amazing people, it is great to see progress on anything that looks like a moon lander :)

When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

It is part of Project M, same with Robonaut.  If they get approval, they may have a full mission late next year or the year after.

No, Project M is gone. Morpheus is the successor to Project M, not a part of it.
JRF

Offline Downix

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #26 on: 06/04/2011 10:01 pm »
As a amazing people, it is great to see progress on anything that looks like a moon lander :)

When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

It is part of Project M, same with Robonaut.  If they get approval, they may have a full mission late next year or the year after.

No, Project M is gone. Morpheus is the successor to Project M, not a part of it.
Then explain Robonaut. Saying Project M is gone, when both parts of it continue active development tells me that it is not as gone as we think.
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline Jorge

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #27 on: 06/04/2011 10:04 pm »
As a amazing people, it is great to see progress on anything that looks like a moon lander :)

When can we expect to see something derived from this on a real mission?

It is part of Project M, same with Robonaut.  If they get approval, they may have a full mission late next year or the year after.

No, Project M is gone. Morpheus is the successor to Project M, not a part of it.
Then explain Robonaut.

It's now separate. More to the point, its connection with Project M is recent. Robonaut long predates Project M. I remember walking past its lab in JSC building 9 and seeing it almost ten years ago, back when it still had the Boba Fett helmet and the Segway base.

Quote
Saying Project M is gone, when both parts of it continue active development tells me that it is not as gone as we think.

No, there was a third part, bigger than the other two put together: the part about actually flying the lander to the moon and deploying Robonaut on the surface. That part is dead and gone, and the other two parts are now separate. I have two officemates who worked translunar trajectory and targeting for Project M before it was canceled.
« Last Edit: 06/04/2011 10:21 pm by Jorge »
JRF

Offline A_M_Swallow

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #28 on: 06/04/2011 10:07 pm »
Remember though that funding for flight demonstration missions like this was gutted to help pay for SLS/MPCV.  I'd be really surprised if they were able to get the money they'd need to turn this into an actual flight mission.

~Jon

A two to three year Moon mission, including development, can be paid for by President Obama or his successor.  If the cost is small the delays in SLS whilst the politicians argue will liberate sufficient money.

I suspect that morale in both NASA and the US is currently at rock bottom.  With the proper public relations a mission like this could improve both morales.  Particularly if the mission does something useful when it gets to the moon.

As for for we cannot afford it during this financial crisis argument.  In the 1960s NASA's Moon missions sent two men to the Moon.  With the cut backs it can only afford to send one robot.

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #29 on: 06/05/2011 01:21 am »
Robonaut 2 existed long before Project M.

Before history was rewritten:

http://web.archive.org/web/20100527102807/http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/future.asp
http://web.archive.org/web/20100527111733/http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/m-whitepaper.asp

Who knows how long that whitepaper link will last.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline sdsds

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #30 on: 02/29/2012 05:48 am »
Video of Morpheus hot fire test
Uploaded by MorpheusLander on Feb 28, 2012
— 𝐬𝐝𝐒𝐝𝐬 —

Offline savuporo

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #31 on: 02/29/2012 06:43 am »
No, there was a third part, bigger than the other two put together: the part about actually flying the lander to the moon and deploying Robonaut on the surface. That part is dead and gone, and the other two parts are now separate. I have two officemates who worked translunar trajectory and targeting for Project M before it was canceled.
Shame. I still think that landing a (half-)humanoid bot on the moon could be an essential part of several tech development initiatives.
I bet that first ISRU experiments flown could use teleoperated dexterous manipulators for adjustments and servicing. Oh wait, nevermind, ISRU tech demonstrators are not being planned..
Orion - the first and only manned not-too-deep-space craft

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #32 on: 02/29/2012 10:30 am »
Shame. I still think that landing a (half-)humanoid bot on the moon could be an essential part of several tech development initiatives.

It was going to be fully humanoid with legs from IHMC.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline A_M_Swallow

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #33 on: 02/29/2012 06:07 pm »
I suspect that a wheeled version of Robonaut could be used for unpacking landers, transferring food containers to habs and erecting solar arrays.

The current Morpheus aims to land 500 kg on the Moon when launched on an Atlas V.

Offline manboy

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #34 on: 02/29/2012 07:55 pm »
What's the future of ALHAT and the Morpheus program? Because when looking at the 2013 budget request "Surface Science Lander Technology" isn't funded in 2014 or after.
"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline Jason1701

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #35 on: 03/01/2012 07:12 am »
The test is good news. I thought they were cancelled, after no news for three months. Maybe it will just take another year.

Offline savuporo

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #36 on: 03/01/2012 02:35 pm »
I thought they were cancelled, after no news for three months.
They have actually posted a steady trickle of small updates on twitter and facebook pages.
Seems that same PR person/crew is maintaing the pages for both Morpheus and Robonaut by the way.
Orion - the first and only manned not-too-deep-space craft

Offline Jason1701

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #37 on: 03/02/2012 12:30 am »
I thought they were cancelled, after no news for three months.
They have actually posted a steady trickle of small updates on twitter and facebook pages.

I was just checking Twitter, which was silent from 21 November to 6 Feb.

Offline manboy

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"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline A_M_Swallow

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Re: Morpheus Lander Testing at JSC and KSC - Update Thread
« Reply #39 on: 04/04/2012 05:00 pm »
Update

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/morpheus_test.html

Quote
... Morpheus integrates an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT) payload that will allow it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent, and land safely.

For the spacecraft that looks like a set of golf balls NASA is building the golf course from hell.

Be a good ship and avoid the sand bunkers at Kennedy Space Centre.

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