Video: Xombie 500m Mars EDL Trajectory

We’re excited to release this footage of Masten’s July 25, 2012 Mars landing trajectory test flight on Xombie. The flight reached 476.5 meters in altitude and translated 500 meters downrange. The test was carried out for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)** to test the powered descent and landing trajectory optimization algorithms for future Mars Entry Descent & Landing (EDL) applications. It is the first EDL style trajectory carried out on a terrestrial vertical takeoff and vertical landing testbed. Masten’s native Guidance, Navigation & Control system controlled Xombie as it followed the JPL-provided Mars landing trajectory. More

We’re excited to release this footage of Masten’s July 25, 2012 Mars landing trajectory test flight on Xombie. The flight reached 476.5 meters in altitude and translated 500 meters downrange. The test was carried out for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)** to test the powered descent and landing trajectory optimization algorithms for future Mars Entry Descent & Landing (EDL) applications. It is the first EDL style trajectory carried out on a terrestrial vertical takeoff and vertical landing testbed. Masten’s native Guidance, Navigation & Control system controlled Xombie as it followed the JPL-provided Mars landing trajectory. More