Hazard Detection (HD) Lidar

Griffin Mission One · manifested · lander system

Astrobotic's lidar-based hazard detection system for its Griffin lander. In a hover about 100 m above the landing area, the lidar scans the terrain; software corrects for the lander's motion, builds a hazard map (rocks as small as 15 cm, slopes over 10 degrees) and picks the safest spot, which it passes to guidance, navigation and control. It works with Astrobotic's terrain relative navigation camera and the NDL.

PI: Andrew D. Horchler (Astrobotic), PI of FO project 106719
Built by: Astrobotic Technology (now Voyager Lunar Systems), Pittsburgh. TechPort's FO record mentions coupling MDA's downward-looking LiDAR for Extraterrestrial Imaging Applications (LEIA) with Astrobotic's sensor. (company)

Technology	landing sensor (hazard detection lidar and software)
Moon Base need	#1101, DN-014 L (The study's reading. Gap #1101 asks for precision landing and hazard avoidance in all visibility conditions; an active lidar hazard map serves that directly. DN-014 L notes that rocks below 1 m, which orbital data cannot resolve, are a tip-over hazard for landers; the HD lidar detects such rocks (15 cm) at the moment of landing, though it does not deliver the data gap's survey. NASA does not tie the HD lidar to either.)
Route onto CLPS	commercial; Not a payload selection: Astrobotic's own landing system, developed for Griffin from the start. Griffin's first mission was task order TO20A, awarded in June 2020 to deliver VIPER; FO's FY2020 report says Astrobotic would deliver VIPER using a lidar-based hazard detection autolanding system matured with FO support. VIPER has since moved to Blue Origin, and Griffin-1 now carries FLIP and NASA's LRA.; 2020-06
Timeline	first funding 2013 (FO's Autolanding project, predecessor); 2021-12 (FO project 106719); Astrobotic's own start for the HD lidar not in public sources; first flight test 2014 (predecessor on Xombie, FO); 2024-11 (HD lidar engineering model on Xodiac, FO; Astrobotic's desert campaign was reported in January 2025); selected 2020-06 (Griffin's task order TO20A; the lander was to use hazard detection); launch target late 2026 (NASA, Aug 2026); landing not in public sources
On the Moon	not yet flown
FO	tested

Flights before the Moon

• FO: Masten Xombie rocket-powered lander, Mojave: Astrobotic Autolanding System (FO technology T0067, TechPort 93996), a predecessor, 2014 (21 Feb, 12 Jun and 20 Jun). Astrobotic's earlier autolanding system: terrain relative navigation plus on-line hazard detection and safe-site selection, steering a rocket-powered lander. FO says the tests let Astrobotic begin a space-rated version for its lunar lander.

"Astrobotic Technology successfully demonstrates Terrain Relative Navigation and on-line hazard detection and identification/selection of safe landing locations in a flight-relevant environment"
— FO annual report, FY2014, p. 77

Data: date: June 20, 2014
— FO annual report, FY2014, flights of TechPort project 93996 (pp. 7, 48)

"has enabled Astrobotic to begin work on a space-rated version of the AAS system for their commercial lunar lander"
— FO annual report, FY2014, p. 52

• FO: Astrobotic Xodiac rocket-powered lander, Mojave, over the Lunar Surface Proving Ground (TechPort 106719), 2024-11 (FO's pages give 11 Nov and 14 Nov 2024; TechPort's summary is dated 5 Nov 2024; the FY2025 report caption's 'November 2025' is an error). An engineering model of the HD lidar, open loop, in preparatory flights and a final free flight: it turned 3D point clouds into a terrain hazard map and verified lidar communications, settings and controls in relevant conditions.

"During the flight test on Nov. 11, 2024, an engineering model of the HD Lidar sensor successfully collected data over Astrobotic’s Lunar Surface Proving Ground"
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

"Astrobotic tested an engineering model of its hazard detection lidar sensor over the company’s simulated lunar terrain on November 14, 2024."
— Flight Summaries - NASA

"A series of preparatory flights were conducted with the final free flight occurring over a simulated lunar terrain"
— TechPort project 106719, description, Summary of Flight Test (2024-11-05)

• other: Astrobotic's own desert campaign: a helicopter and Astrobotic's Xodiac, over the Lunar Surface Proving Ground (Mojave) and Death Valley. FO support is not stated., reported 2025-01-22; completed by 2025-04-25. The HD lidar with the TRN camera in simulated hover and descent profiles: over 40 lidar scans of nearly one million square meters, the motion-correction ('de-skewing') software, real-time detection of hazards down to 15 cm, and TRN landing accuracy within a 50 m radius. Astrobotic's January and April 2025 posts describe the same terrain coverage, so this study counts one campaign. The systems were then to be integrated onto Griffin in Q2 2025.

"these tests involved over 40 LiDAR scans, capturing nearly one million square meters of terrain data"
— Stick the Landing: Astrobotic’s Cutting-Edge Hazard Detection LiDAR System, Astrobotic, 22 Jan 2025

"used both a helicopter and Astrobotic’s own Xodiac vertical-takeoff vertical-landing suborbital rocket to evaluate these essential landing subsystems"
— Astrobotic Tech Passes Critical Tests for Safe Moon Landings, 25 Apr 2025

"The system also attained a landing accuracy within a 50 m radius of positional knowledge via terrain relative navigation."
— Astrobotic Tech Passes Critical Tests for Safe Moon Landings

"The systems will proceed with integration onto the Griffin spacecraft during Q2 of 2025."
— Astrobotic Tech Passes Critical Tests for Safe Moon Landings

• other: Second flight test with an integrated hazard detection and GNC system (vehicle and sponsor not stated), 2026-03. The HD lidar together with guidance, navigation and control, building on the November 2024 data. FO's page reports it but does not say FO supported it.

"which was later leveraged by a second flight test in March 2026 with an integrated hazard detection and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system"
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

Heritage hardware

• design heritage (Astrobotic autolanding line): The HD lidar continues Astrobotic's autolanding work that FO flew on Xombie in 2014, and a 2014 Astrobotic SBIR on autolanding with hazard detection (144119 / NNX14CP22P, Phase I). FO's FY2020 report calls the Griffin system 'lidar-based, hazard detection autolanding system matured with support from Flight Opportunities'.

"The proposed research innovates safe, precise navigation for autolanding for sample return missions"
— SBIR.gov award data, award 144119, abstract; NNX14CP22P, 2014, award amount 124996.0

"Astrobotic will use its HD Lidar system when its Griffin lunar lander delivers science and technology payloads to the Moon during its CLPS delivery to the lunar south pole."
— Transitions of Flight Tested Technologies

• design heritage (integration on Griffin): Astrobotic integrated the HD lidar and TRN camera into Griffin and flew a simulated soft landing on its production flatsat, built with engineering models of the flight avionics. On Griffin-1 the HD lidar works with TRN and NDL in one guidance, navigation and control system.

"Astrobotic fully integrated its HD Lidar and TRN camera into its Griffin lander and demonstrated a successful soft landing simulation"
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

"The GNC system on Griffin-1 brings together several advanced technologies, including Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), LiDAR-based Hazard Detection & Avoidance (HDA), and Navigation Doppler LiDAR (NDL)."
— Griffin-1: Test Like You Fly!, Astrobotic, 28 Oct 2025

Funding before the lunar flight

• FO project 'LiDAR Hazard Detection for Safe and Precise Lunar Landing' (TechPort 106719, Dec 2021 to Jul 2026): FO paid for the Xodiac flight test. Amount: FO records. (STMD Flight Opportunities; 2021-2026): amount not in public sources

"LiDAR Hazard Detection for Safe and Precise Lunar Landing"
— TechPort project 106719, title (FO program)

• Related, not the sensor itself: Astrobotic NASA SBIR 'Real-time Hazard Detection via Deep Learning' (HazNet), Phase I 212520 / 80NSSC21C0093 ($124,996, 2021) and Phase II 212520 / 80NSSC22CA108 (shown). It adds deep-learning hazard maps from lidar and camera data. Linked because the Phase I abstract says the same team was then building the lidar hazard detection module for Griffin Mission One; the sources do not show that HazNet is part of the flight system. (NASA SBIR (to Astrobotic, UEI JAQ3W2MGVNV1); 2022-2024): $749,904

"The proposing team is currently developing a LiDAR-based hazard detection module for Astroboticrsquo;s Griffin Mission One"
— SBIR.gov award data, award 212520, Phase I abstract; 80NSSC21C0093, award amount 124996.0

"HazNet is a robust hazard detection solution that leverages deep learning and hardware acceleration"
— SBIR.gov award data, award 212520, Phase II abstract; 80NSSC22CA108, award amount 749904.0

• Astrobotic's own funding and the TO20A delivery contract, which named a hazard-detecting lander, are not broken out for the HD lidar in public sources. Astrobotic's later lidar awards (STTR 'RASTR – Ultra-Fast Smart LiDAR Sensor for Terrain Mapping', 24T9031004 / 80NSSC24PB216, 2024; SBIR Phase II 'LaserNav – LiDAR-Based Dark Navigation', 25212H9032520 / 80NSSC25C0435, 2025) are next-generation work, not shown to be this sensor, so no amount is entered. (Astrobotic internal; NASA STTR and SBIR (later, not this unit); not in public sources): amount not in public sources

"RASTR – Ultra-Fast Smart LiDAR Sensor for Terrain Mapping"
— SBIR.gov award data, 24T9031004 / 80NSSC24PB216, 2024, PI Andrew Horchler

"LaserNav – LiDAR-Based Dark Navigation for Safe and Precise Lunar Landing"
— SBIR.gov award data, 25212H9032520 / 80NSSC25C0435, 2025, PI Andrew Horchler

How it got onto CLPS

"Astrobotic will deliver the rover on the"
— nasa.gov: dr-fop-pub-anr-20-03-fop-accomp-report-online.pdf, FY2020 report p. 6

"detection autolanding system matured with support from"
— nasa.gov: dr-fop-pub-anr-20-03-fop-accomp-report-online.pdf, FY2020 report p. 6

"June: NASA names Astrobotic as CLPS"
— NASA press kit, Commercial Lunar Payload Services Initiative: Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One…, 2020 timeline

"In particular, HD is needed to safely and precisely land Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander and deploy NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) at the South Pole of the Moon"
— TechPort project 106719, description, Problem Statement

On the Moon

Integrated into Griffin-1. FO's FY2025 report says the sensor reached a new readiness level and 'prepares to guide' Griffin's landing. TechPort still lists TRL 4 as current, against an end goal of 7.

"captured high-precision data, progressing to a new readiness level as it"
— nasa.gov: fy25-flight-opportunities-accomplishments-report.pdf, FY2025 report p. 4

Data:
— TechPort project 106719, trlBegin 4, trlCurrent 4, trlEnd 7 on

FO's role

Grade: tested. Grade unchanged from the study's earlier traceback (fo-tested). FO flew an engineering model of this sensor on Xodiac in November 2024, open loop, over simulated lunar terrain; FO says it 'confirm[ed] its ability to select a safe landing site', helped verify the lidar's communications, settings and controls under relevant conditions, and that its data fed a second, integrated test in March 2026. FO also flew the predecessor autolanding system in 2014. FO was one of several test routes: Astrobotic also flew the lidar on its own helicopter and Xodiac desert campaign (reported January 2025, completed April 2025). The flight unit itself has not flown. Manifested, not landed.

FO flights: not in public sources. FO bought the November 2024 Xodiac test (preparatory flights and a final free flight; the count is not given) and the 2014 Xombie flights. Costs are in FO records.

"With Flight Opportunities support, Astrobotic first tested an engineering model of its advanced HD Lidar sensor in November 2024"
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

"helped verify lidar communications, settings, and controls under relevant conditions"
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

"This flight test enabled Astrobotic to make a significant advancement in demonstrating space exploration technology capabilities, and the company applied lessons from this test directly to its lunar lander missions."
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

"Hazard detection lidar (Astrobotic) | Lander system | Griffin Mission One | Xodiac, Nov 2024 (engineering model)"
— earlier finding of this study (not a public source)

Who built it

"Astrobotic Technology’s Hazard Detection (HD) Lidar system scans and analyzes the terrain in real-time, enabling landers to autonomously map and select the safest landing sites."
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

Data: name: Andrew D Horchler
— TechPort project 106719, contacts: Principal Investigator

"Coupling MDA Ltd.’s downward-looking LiDAR for Extraterrestrial Imaging Applications (LEIA) with Astrobotic’s HD LiDAR sensor could increase reliability and precision."
— TechPort project 106719, description, Technology Maturation

Moon Base need

"technologies should enable safe and accurate landings in all visibility conditions"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: ESDMD #1101: Lunar Precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance for Human Exploration, description

"Develop precision landing systems capable of taking highly accurate range and velocity"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: Moon Base technology and knowledge challenges, Headline challenge 1

"below the resolution of existing imagery (sub-meter scale) at the south pole to better"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: DN-014 L: High resolution lunar rock size distribution and morphology at the lunar south pole, description

"Astrobotic’s HD Lidar system is designed to detect hazards as small as 5.9 inches (15 cm) and slopes greater than 10°"
— Hazard Detection Lidar System Goes to the Moon

Open questions

• What lidar hardware is the HD sensor: Astrobotic's own, a commercial unit, or MDA's LEIA? TechPort mentions coupling with LEIA; no source names the flight sensor's maker.
• On which day of November 2024 did the FO free flight happen (11 or 14 November), and how many flights did FO buy? FO's sources disagree on the day and give no count.
• Did FO support the March 2026 integrated test, and on what vehicle? FO's page reports it without saying.
• TechPort lists TRL 4 now; FO's report says the sensor reached a 'new readiness level'. What TRL does Astrobotic claim for the flight unit? Not in public sources.
• What did the HD lidar cost, and how much came from the TO20A delivery contract? Not in public sources.