Project M (NASA)

Project M was a proposed NASA project to send a Robonaut to the Moon.{{cite news |title=At NASA, a Quiet Quest to Send a Humanoid Robot to the Moon |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/science/space/02robot.html?hpw |quote=The idea, known as Project M, is almost a guerrilla effort within NASA, cooked up a year ago by Stephen J. Altemus, the chief engineer at Johnson. He tapped into discretionary money, pulled in engineers to work on it part time, and horse-traded with companies and other NASA units to undertake preliminary planning and tests. |work=New York Times |date=November 1, 2010 |access-date=2010-11-01 }} This was originally hoped to be achieved in just a thousand days from the official announcement, but was later shifted into Project Morpheus.{{cite web|url=http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/01/6994777-inside-nasas-skunk-works-lab|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704183734/http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/01/6994777-inside-nasas-skunk-works-lab|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-04|title=Inside NASA's 'Skunk Works' lab|last=Boyle|first=Alan|date=2011-07-01|publisher=MSNBC|quote=Project Morpheus started out as "Project M," a concept that called for landing a humanoid robot on the moon in 1,000 days. Then reality set in, and the project was redefined.|access-date=16 July 2011}}

History

NASA projected the project could have cost less than {{USD}}200 million. An additional $250 million would have been needed for the launch vehicle. The project could have been accomplished in a thousand days or less once it had been approved. The project would have used a variation of lander developed by Armadillo Aerospace.{{cite news |title=NASA's Madcap Sci-Fi Plan Could Get an Android Moonwalking Within 3 Years |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1649630/nasa-robonaut-moon-exploration-cheap-mission-rockets-android-lunar-moonshot |work=Fast Company |date=May 19, 2010 |access-date=2010-11-01 }} On June 23, 2010, a flight carried a prototype known as the Guidance Embedded Navigator Integration Environment (GENIE). GENIE was developed to demonstrate fully functional, real-time, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) code in a terrestrial rocket vehicle applicable to landing on the surface of the Moon.{{cite web|author=NASAProjectM|title=Project M GENIE Integration and Lander Free Flight|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j95FleDEfo|publisher=YouTube|access-date=November 24, 2012}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20101028100153/http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/future/whitepaper/default.asp NASA Project M whitepaper]
[https://www.youtube.com/user/NASAProjectM Project M Youtube channel]

Category:NASA programs