| The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge is designed to accelerate
commercial technological developments supporting the birth of a new generation
of Lunar Landers capable of ferrying payloads or humans back and forth
between lunar orbit and the lunar surface. Such a vehicle would have direct
application to NASA’s space exploration goals as well as the personal
spaceflight industry. Additionally, the challenge will help industry develop
the operational capacity to launch quick turnaround vertical take-off,
vertical landing vehicles, which will be of significant use to many facets
of the commercial launch procurement market.
The Competition is divided into two levels. Level 1 requires a rocket
to take off from a designated launch area, rocket up to 150
feet (50 meters) altitude, then hover for 90 seconds while landing precisely
on a landing pad 100 meters away. The flight must then be repeated in reverse—and
both flights, along with all of the necessary preparation for
each, must take place within a two and a half hour period.
The more difficult
course, Level 2, requires the rocket to hover for twice as
long before landing precisely on a simulated lunar surface, packed with
craters and boulders to mimic actual lunar terrain. The hover times are
calculated so that the Level 2 mission closely simulates the power needed
to perform the real lunar mission. |
