Cooperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technology is a reusable platform for spaceflight infusion of guidance, navigation and control (GN&C) as well as precision landing and hazard avoidance technologies.
Note: Please note that this is an “archived project” and is no longer updated. This article is meant for historical purposes only.
Cooperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technology, or COBALT, is a reusable platform to test and mature technology readiness levels and reduce risk for spaceflight infusion of guidance, navigation and control (GN&C) as well as precision landing and hazard avoidance technologies. COBALT is self-contained and could be modified to test different GN&C technologies on different platforms.
COBALT is a partnership between Space Technology-Game Changing Development, Space Technology-Flight Opportunities, and Human Exploration Operations-Advanced Exploration Systems. COBALT will perform open-loop and closed-loop flight testing of terrain relative navigation and navigational Doppler LIDAR systems on a Masten Xodiac launch platform. The main objective is to integrate these systems into a seamless guidance, navigation and control capability. This entry, descent and landing demonstration helps infuse autonomous precision landing technology into robotic landers for Moon, Mars, and Europa missions, and complements Lunar CATALYST activities with Masten Space Systems.
