NASA Working to Leverage Latest Commercial LIDAR Tech for Human-Carried Lunar Mapping System
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville AL, partnering with Torch Technologies under NASA Early Career Initiative to develop Kinematic Navigation and Cartography Knapsack (KNaCK) device for Moon topography and live-action recording; KNaCK being designed for human use during Artemis landings, taking form as 18-kg backpack utilizing 4D (height, length, width, velocity) frequency modulated continuous wave lidar (FMCW) sensors capable of cm-level precision, supplied by Aeva of Mountain View CA