The MARE (Moon Age and Regolith Explorer) Discovery Mission concept targets delivery of a science payload to within a 100-meter radius of a specified landing site on the lunar surface for sample collection and dating. The mission science is within a region of smooth lunar maria terrain near Aristarchus crater that includes surface features, such as small sharp craters and rocks, that present landing hazards to the spacecraft. For successful delivery of the science payload to the surface, the vehicle Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) subsystem requires safe and precise soft landing capability, so the design infuses the NASA Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) and a gimbaled, throttleable LOX/LCH_4 main engine. The ALHAT system implemented for MARE is a specialization of prototype technologies in work within NASA, including a passive optical Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) sensor, a Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) velocity and range sensor, and a Lidar-based Hazard Detection (HD) sensor. The landing descent profile is from a retrograde orbit over lighted terrain with landing near lunar dawn. The GN&C subsystem with ALHAT capabilities will deliver the science pay-load to the lunar surface within a 20-meter radius of the targeted landing location and at a site having greater than 99% safety probability, which minimizes risk to safe landing and delivery of the MARE science payload to the intended terrain region.
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