NASA is actively advancing precision landing technologies for future Moon and Mars missions through a series of flight tests in 2025. These tests involve solutions from NASA, universities, and commercial industry, utilizing flight vehicles to address technology gaps in advanced guidance, terrain-relative navigation, and hazard detection.
Throughout 2025, NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate has supported flight testing of precision landing and hazard detection technologies. These solutions have been tested on a suborbital rocket system, a high-speed jet, a helicopter, and a rocket-powered lander testbed.
Draper's DMEN system, tested on Blue Origin's New Shepard in February 2025, collected data for NASA's CLPS initiative. Psionic's PSNDL, a miniaturized version of NASA's lidar technology, was tested on an F/A-18 Hornet in February 2025. NASA's HDL, part of the SPLICE technology suite, was tested from a helicopter over a lunar-like test field in March 2025. SDSU algorithms are being developed to improve landing capabilities and propellant efficiency, with tests in April and May 2025 on Astrobotic's Xodiac lander.
These flight tests are validating technologies with real data, paving the way for their integration into next-generation Moon and Mars landers. This work signals to industry that these capabilities are ready for broader applications.