- SpaceX built a LIDAR sensor – the DragonEye, from concept to final hardware in 10 months. It was recently successfully flown on the Space Shuttle.
- In the future the plan is to use the DragonEye as a real time proximity sensor on SpaceX vehicle missions to re-supply the International Space Station.
- Hopefully some of this data processing technology will make its way into Earth-bound applications.
It’s one thing to build a sensor for the earth’s atmosphere, but it’s an entirely different story to build a sensor to withstand the rigors of a launch into space, let alone develop it from concept to final hardware in 10 months. Enter SpaceX, a private company that has a 5 year contract to supply the International Space Station with a ferry service between 2010 and 2015. They are the only COTS contender who can return cargo to Earth.
Dubbed the DragonEye, the LIDAR (which they define as “laser imaging detection and ranging” – interesting) is being used as a proximity sensor for navigation during the docking procedures. It was successfully demonstrated during the July 15, 2009 Space Shuttle Endeavour mission.
This sounds like a real time 3D imaging application, similar perhaps in concept to the collision avoidance approach/system that Velodyne is taking. The results are currently being evaluated by SpaceX and NASA. Processing LIDAR data in real time from outer space has to present a number of significant challenges, and it would seem that there might be a “spill over” effect for us Earth-bound players.
If you can dock your rocket with the space station, can parking your car be far behind?
It will surely be of great help in space missions as Lidar helps sensor small and distant terrestrial bodies.
This innovation will surely add more interesting discoveries from space.