NASA is testing a backpack that could be used to create detailed maps of the lunar surface.
NASA and industry partners Torch Technologies and Aeva have developed a mapping system called the Knapsack that uses mobile lidar scanner technology to create ultra-high-resolution maps in real time as an astronauts walks across the surface. The gear can make millions of measurement points per second and can also be used for navigation to improve safety for astronauts crossing the lunar surface on foot.
The technology is set to be used in the upcoming Artemis missions that will see the first crewed lunar landings since 1972, and while it is currently carried in a backpack, the plan is to incorporate it into a smaller device that can attach to an astronauts helmet.
The south pole of the moon is hard to see and is expected to play an important role on lunar missions.
The sensor is a surveying tool that can create high-resolution 3D maps and give them a rich scientific context.
Humans tend to use landmarks like buildings and trees to orient themselves, but as those things don't exist on the moon, KNaCK technology will enable lunar explorers to determine their movement, direction, and orientation to distant peaks. They can mark specific sites where they found some unique mineral or rock formation.
Engineers have tested a prototype of KNaCK to map an ancient volcanic crater in New Mexico, and also to create a 3D reconstruction of the six-mile-long sea barrier dunes at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The team is working to miniaturize the hardware to make it robust enough to deal with the challenges of microgravity and solar radiation.
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