Description: Remote Sensing Solutions (RSS) proposes the development of a modular, small, high performance terrain relative Terminal Descent Radar (TDR) for range and velocity sensing of planetary landing and vehicles engaging in proximity operations. The innovation builds off of and improves upon the highly successful Curiosity / Mars Science Laboratory sky crane Terminal Descent Sensor. Our improvements include significant improvements to the size, weight, and reproducibility of the design; a modular design; and improvement in the ability to detect and remove the effects of airborne debris. In this effort we propose to realize prototypes of our recurring, reproducible designs at Ka-band and W-band. We also propose to develop, implement, and validate through field demonstration new measurement algorithms that can mitigate issues of false velocity measurements due to moving dust and sand, particularly at low altitudes where thruster fire can cause movement of surface particles. Such algorithms mitigate that concern for planetary bodies where dust or sand are a concern (i.e. the Moon, Mars, comets, asteroids, and even Europa), and, by extending measurements closer to the surface, save mission cost and complexity by decoupling the landing problem from errors in the inertial measurement unit.

Benefits: Every major landing mission since Surveyor has used radar as the key component for delivering range and velocity information. The JPL TDS proved highly successful but was not designed to be reproducible. Rebuilding TDS beyond Mars 2020 is likely cost prohibitive, as well as size prohibitive for smaller class missions. A reproducible, low-cost landing radar system would fill an immediate need for upcoming landing missions, including Discovery class through flagship concepts like a Europa lander, also including lunar landing, due to its ability to operate independent of sun illumination, lack of need for coherent surface features (required for an incoherent imaging system to measure horizontal velocity), and far superior performance compared to lidar in the presence of dust and other particulates. Such a sensor thus solves a key, critical long-term NASA need post-Mars 2020, enabling numerous classes of planned and future robotic and crewed missions.

The TDR developed by RSS would be broadly applicable to the commercial space sector as well as NASA. Beyond space applications, the sensors & algorithms that yield robust, independent range and velocity measurements have broad applicability to autonomous vehicles, including automonous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As evidenced from the letters included in this proposal, RSS has already begun working with several companies on the development and marketing of small, lightweight radars and sonars for UAVs and AUVs, respectively.