A NASA prototype lander soars above the Kennedy Space Center for it's most important test flight yet, and once again, it's successful.

The Morpheus Lander blasted off once again into the air at the end of the iconic KSC shuttle landing facility Thursday.

The prototype soared to 800 feet, much like previous tests.

But this one was different.

The lander's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology system (ALHAT) was in charge for the very first time.

"We've gotten to the point where it's time to close the loop, and let ALHAT do the flying," says Project Manager Greg Gaddis.

Meaning that part of the spacecraft's technology would guide it to a safe landing.

But once again, as in previous tests, it had to deal with a mock lunar landscape filled with 350 hazards, including craters, rocks and slopes for the lander to avoid.

Once the predetermined place where it was going to go was deemed unsafe, at the top of climb the ALHAT system kicked in and took over.

The ALHAT system determined that spot was too hazardous and selected five safe sites.

98 seconds later, the lander touched down safely at a new location, within just a foot of the center of target, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Another successful test.

All this testing could pave the way for future robotic or human missions to other planets or destinations.