TRON - Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Facility for Lunar Descent and Landing Optical Navigation

Abstract

Future exploration missions require advanced optical sensors for precise navigation and landing site evaluation. The Testbed for Robotic Optical Navigation (TRON) is a Hardware-in-the-Loop test environment, with the purpose to support the development of optical navigation technology, and to qualify breadboards to TRL 4, and to qualify flight models to TRL 5-6. In this paper the design and ongoing realization of TRON is discussed. The first application of TRON is to simulate relevant parts of the lunar landing. After illustrating the concept, the building blocks of the laboratory are explained in detail. These are the simulation of the scaled dynamics via a 7-DOF robot, the simulation of the optical environment via a black out system and a lighting system, and the simulation of the terrain geometry via scaled 3D terrain models. With modifications TRON can also provide relevant environments for Mars, asteroids and moons.