NASA is celebrating the success of a critical test for its Morpheus lander prototype. On Tuesday afternoon, NASA engineers tested the lander over a flame trench at the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility.
During the test the lander fired its engines and lifted 50 feet off the ground then maneuvered to a pre-planned landing spot after 44 seconds of flight.
This is the second test for the Morpheus lander prototype. In August 2012 the first Morpheus lander malfunctioned and burned during a test at KSC. Since then the engineering team made more than 70 upgrades to the new one.
The next test flights at KSC in the coming weeks will test how the lander avoids rocks and other hazards on a simulated surface near the launch site.
Work on Morpheus is hoped to be the precursor to future spacecraft which will land on Mars and other planets.
The project is said to be a lean project, meaning engineers are following a strict budget. So far they have spent around $10 million in three years and $750,000 on the lander itself.