{"id":60760,"date":"2020-09-22T14:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T18:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-464591"},"modified":"2023-07-27T08:16:36","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T12:16:36","slug":"nasa-tipping-point-partnership-with-blue-origin-to-test-precision-lunar-landing-technologies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/johnson\/nasa-tipping-point-partnership-with-blue-origin-to-test-precision-lunar-landing-technologies\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Tipping Point Partnership with Blue Origin to Test Precision Lunar Landing Technologies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><b><i>Editor\u2019s Note:<\/i><\/b><i> The Sept. 24 launch attempt was scrubbed. Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard (NS-13) mission successfully launched and landed Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Visit Blue Origin\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O97dPDkUGg4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a> channel to view the Oct. 13 launch webcast.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the rim of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/moon-s-south-pole-in-nasa-s-landing-sites\">Shackleton crater<\/a> to permanently shadowed regions on the Moon, a NASA-developed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/NASA_Technology_Enables_Precision_Landing_Without_a_Pilot\/\">sensor suite<\/a> could allow robotic and crewed missions to land precisely on the lunar surface within half the distance of a football field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technologies to enable exact and soft landings on the Moon and other worlds will fly on Blue Origin\u2019s next New Shepard suborbital <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/news\/new-shepard-mission-ns-13-launch-updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rocket launch<\/a>, targeted for 12:40 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 24. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rocket\u2019s flight path is relevant to lunar landings, providing a unique opportunity to mature sensors and algorithms for potential use on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/artemis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis<\/a> missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis public-private partnership is a great example of NASA and industry working together on common goals \u2013 to explore more of the Moon and eventually land humans on Mars,\u201d said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). STMD selected Blue Origin for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-announces-new-partnerships-to-develop-space-exploration-technologies\">Tipping Point award<\/a> in 2018 to help increase access to planetary surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NASA Tipping Point Partnership with Blue Origin to Test Precision Lunar Landing Technologies\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mbkN0maoTp8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From the rim of Shackleton crater to permanently shadowed regions on the Moon, a NASA-developed sensor suite could allow robotic and crewed missions to land precisely on the lunar surface within half the distance of a football field. The technologies to enable exact and soft landings on the Moon and other worlds will undergo testing on Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard suborbital rocket booster. The rocket’s flight path is relevant to lunar landings, providing a unique opportunity to mature sensors and algorithms for potential use on Artemis missions. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/game_changing_development\/projects\/SPLICE\/about\">Learn more about NASA\u2019s Safe and Precise Landing \u2013 Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) project<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sensors and specialized software are fundamental to NASA\u2019s Safe and Precise Landing \u2013 Integrated Capabilities Evolution (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/game_changing_development\/projects\/SPLICE\/about\/\">SPLICE<\/a>) technology suite. This flight test, the first of two under the Tipping Point partnership, will demonstrate the performance of two NASA-developed precision landing sensor systems, advanced algorithms, and a new computer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rocket launch won\u2019t be the first for some SPLICE components \u2013 NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/flightopportunities\/index.html\">Flight Opportunities<\/a> program based at the agency\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, enabled tests on other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/flightopportunities\/One_Giant_Leap_for_Lunar_Landing_Navigation\/\">commercial platforms<\/a>. But this is the first integrated test for the computer with two of the three SPLICE sensor systems. So, before the technologies make their way to the Moon or elsewhere in the solar system, NASA is taking advantage of another proven testing platform. <\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"integration and testing\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg 5472w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=300,198 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=768,507 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=1024,676 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=1536,1014 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=2048,1352 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=400,264 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=600,396 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=900,594 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=1200,792 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/blue_origin_image_-_experiment_-_on_ns.jpg?resize=2000,1320 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Blue Origin New Shepard (NS-13) booster sensor experiment undergoing integration and testing at the company\u2019s West Texas launch facility.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Blue Origin<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Leading up to the New Shepard launch (NS-13), Blue Origin installed the sensors onto the upper portion of the reusable rocket booster and integrated the custom SPLICE descent and landing computer and remaining hardware into the booster. During the approximately 12-minute venture from Earth to space and back to Earth, SPLICE will collect data on the range of operations for each component to help the team better understand how the elements work together and on the same timetable during a lunar-relevant descent and landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTesting SPLICE technologies on a suborbital rocket expands the envelope beyond previous lab tests, helicopter field tests, and lower-altitude suborbital rocket tests,\u201d explained John Carson, technical integration manager for precision landing based at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. \u201cWe will get more data about the system to anchor analyses and models and support follow-on adjustments, testing, and development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Segments of the rocket\u2019s flight profile mimic a spacecraft landing on the Moon. New Shepard will lift off toward space and reach an altitude of approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers). The SPLICE hardware will briefly experience what it is like to operate in microgravity and the vacuum of space. Next, the capsule \u2013 carrying other cargo, including <a href=\"\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/testing-super-foods-for-space-and-more-on-blue-origin-suborbital-flight\/\">eight Flight Opportunities payloads<\/a> and tens of thousands of <a href=\"https:\/\/clubforfuture.org\/missions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">postcards<\/a> from Blue Origin\u2019s nonprofit Club for the Future created by Artemis Generation students \u2013 will separate from the booster and fly free in space. The rocket booster will descend vertically back to Earth. The two NASA sensor systems, a computer, and supporting software will get to work during the controlled descent.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The New Shepard booster lands after the vehicle's flight on Dec. 11, 2019.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?resize=2000,1500 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The New Shepard booster lands after the vehicle’s flight on Dec. 11, 2019.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Blue Origin<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The first sensor system is for terrain relative navigation that incorporates software developed by Draper of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This system kicks off an emulated landing sequence on New Shepard. Terrain relative navigation uses two proven sensors mounted to the rocket \u2013 an inertial measurement unit and a camera. The software uses real-time information from the camera, its \u201ceyes,\u201d to make comparisons with pre-loaded surface maps to determine the rocket\u2019s exact location. The technology, which is akin to the system NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/timeline\/landing\/entry-descent-landing\/#Terrain-Relative-Navigation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Perseverance rover<\/a> will use to land on Mars in February 2021, could land spacecraft precisely on another world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second sensor system to fire up during the flight test is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/langley\/langley-researchers-are-shaking-up-lunar-landing-technology\">navigation Doppler lidar<\/a>, developed at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The new sensor uses a laser to enable precise soft landings on the Moon and Mars. Navigation Doppler lidar sends laser beams to the surface and detects the reflected returns to determine the lander\u2019s velocity and altitude. The data from this test will let the team model how it will function during lunar landing and how it is affected by a planet\u2019s atmosphere \u2013 in this case, Earth\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"configuration of electronics within navigation Doppler lidar.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lrc-2020-h1_p_ndl-071600003_0.jpg?resize=2000,1500 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Langley engineers Aram Gragossian, left, and Jacob Follman, right, configure the electronics within a navigation Doppler lidar engineering test unit.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA \/ David C. Bowman<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe sensor data is all processed via the descent and landing computer,\u201d explained Carson. \u201cLots of other software runs in the background, integrating the different systems, figuring out what needs to run next, and, for this test, synchronizing timing with the Blue Origin flight computer. It\u2019s all crucial so the system can run autonomously and provide us with data that we can analyze post-flight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it won\u2019t fly on this flight, a third SPLICE sensor system called hazard detection lidar scans a surface to create a 3D map of the landing field. This data allows the SPLICE computer and software to identify challenging terrain and determine a safe landing location for a robotic or human mission to touch down.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"preparations for a suborbital flight test\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/dlc.jpeg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s SPLICE descent and landing computer (foreground) and navigation Doppler lidar engineering test unit (background) undergo preparations for a suborbital flight test.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Blue Origin<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cPrecision landing is critical for a sustainable lunar future that builds a lunar base with successive missions,\u201d said Brent Sherwood, vice president of Advanced Development Programs, Blue Origin. \u201cOn New Shepard together with NASA, we are demonstrating in flight the capabilities America can use to conduct lunar exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA designed the elements to work together or separately. One or all of the capabilities could be integrated into a spacecraft, depending on the destination and mission requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe develop and test new technologies so that NASA and industry can use variations of them based on the mission need,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/game_changing_development\/index.html\">Game Changing Development<\/a> Program Executive Niki Werkheiser. The program manages SPLICE\u2019s technology development. \u201cSince a one-size-fits-all solution for landing on other worlds isn\u2019t feasible, we are bringing about flexible, next-generation capabilities that NASA and our partners can apply to a variety of missions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s navigation Doppler lidar system will fly on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/first-commercial-moon-delivery-assignments-to-advance-artemis\/\" title=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/first-commercial-moon-delivery-assignments-to-advance-artemis\/\">two commercial robotic lunar landers<\/a> targeted for flights in 2021. SPLICE technologies could also be considered for use to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon under NASA\u2019s Artemis program as well as for future Mars sample return missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Landing precisely on other worlds\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QSlcLNPCZ5M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A new suite of lunar landing technologies, called Safe and Precise Landing \u2013 Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE), will enable safer and more accurate lunar landings than ever before. Future Moon missions could use NASA’s advanced SPLICE algorithms and sensors to target landing sites that weren\u2019t possible during the Apollo missions, such as regions with hazardous boulders and nearby shadowed craters. SPLICE technologies could also help land humans on Mars. (Credits: NASA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b><i>By Clare Skelly<\/i><\/b><br> <b><i>Headquarters, Washington<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s Note: The Sept. 24 launch attempt was scrubbed. Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard (NS-13) mission successfully launched and landed Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Visit Blue Origin\u2019s YouTube channel to view the Oct. 13 launch webcast. From the rim of Shackleton crater to permanently shadowed regions on the Moon, a NASA-developed sensor suite could allow robotic and crewed missions to land precisely [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":62359,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2861,2855,2681,3333,3334,2863,2879],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[10642],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Tipping Point Partnership with Blue Origin to Test Precision Lunar Landing Technologies","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/johnson\/nasa-tipping-point-partnership-with-blue-origin-to-test-precision-lunar-landing-technologies\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/johnson\/nasa-tipping-point-partnership-with-blue-origin-to-test-precision-lunar-landing-technologies\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nancy J. Pekar"}],"creator":["Nancy J. Pekar"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Directorates","Space Technology Mission Directorate","Johnson Space Center","Armstrong Flight Research Center","Artemis","Flight Opportunities Program","Game Changing Development Program","Langley Research Center"],"dateCreated":"2020-09-22T18:15:00Z","datePublished":"2020-09-22T18:15:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-27T12:16:36Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Tipping Point Partnership with Blue Origin to Test Precision Lunar Landing Technologies\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/johnson\/nasa-tipping-point-partnership-with-blue-origin-to-test-precision-lunar-landing-technologies\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/blueorigin_ns12_boosterlanding.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2020-09-22T18:15:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Directorates,Space Technology Mission Directorate,Johnson Space Center,Armstrong Flight Research Center,Artemis,Flight Opportunities Program,Game Changing Development Program,Langley Research Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Nancy J. 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