NASA completed a field test of its official lunar landing equipment at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida in March 2025.
Table of Contents
Evaluating the New Hazard Detection System
The agency said Tuesday it demonstrated the ability of the new hazard detection technology to perform a precise landing. The goal was to land within 50 meters of the target area. This new development reportedly advances precision landing technology and brings NASA’s Artemis mission closer to its objective of safely landing on the Moon and Mars.
During the demonstration, a team composed of Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division personnel from the Johnson Space Center and Goddard Space Flight Center tested the Goddard Hazard Detection Lidar from a helicopter to simulate a vibration-heavy environment.
The lidar system demonstrated the ability to scan an area the size of two football fields in just two seconds. It managed to process 15 million short pulses of laser light, enabling it to generate real-time 3D maps of landing sites. Aside from precision landing, this capability is intended to allow the spacecraft to avoid hazards.
SPLICE Program
The Goddard Hazard Detection Lidar is part of the agency’s Safe & Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution, or SPLICE, program. The initiative, under the Space Technology Mission Directorate, aims to develop advanced landing technologies for planetary exploration.
SPLICE is a unified landing system equipped with avionics, sensors and algorithms utilized for navigation, guidance and image processing. The SPLICE Descent and Landing Computer reads the 3D maps and assesses sensor data to determine the spacecraft’s velocity and altitude, as well as terrain hazards and safe landing sites.
These technologies can potentially be used on Mars Sample Return, Europa Lander, Commercial Lunar Payload Services flights and Gateway.
Related Articles
The Senate on Saturday voted 59-35 to confirm Sean Cairncross, a former Republican National Committee official, as the next national cyber director. With his confirmation, Cairncross succeeds Harry Coker as head of the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. In this capacity, he will serve as the principal adviser to the U.S. president on cybersecurity strategy and policy in relation to the coordination of information security and data protection; efforts to deter malicious cyber activity; and programs and policies meant to improve the U.S. cybersecurity posture, among others. In February, President Donald Trump nominated Cairncross to the role.
Edward Forst has been nominated by President Donald Trump as the next administrator of the General Services Administration, succeeding Robin Carnahan, who resigned in January after serving for nearly four years. The White House announced the nomination on Sunday. Who Is Edward Forst? Forst is a seasoned executive and investor with vast experience in the global financial services and real estate industries. He most recently served as chairman of London-based private equity firm Lion Capital for three years. He was also the CEO of Cushman & Wakefield from 2013 to 2015. He spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs serving various senior executive
The Senate voted on Thursday 53-44 to confirm Matthew Kozma as the new undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security for intelligence and analysis. In his role, Kozma would manage the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which detects and addresses domestic and international threats, cyber risks and evolving national security issues, Homeland Security Today reported. He will lead the intelligence efforts to ensure the sharing of threat information between federal, state and local agencies. Find out more about the challenges and opportunities of the agency at the Potomac Officers Club 2025 Homeland Security Summit on November 12. Get insights into