Hazard Detection Flight Software for Processing LIDAR Generated DEM

Hazard Detection (HD) is an enabling technology for safe landing on planetary bodies when the lander hazard tolerance capability is at the resolution limit of orbital imagery. This situation is common to many planetary bodies in the Solar System including Moon and Mars. At these locations, an autonomous lander can utilize a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor to map the landing area and construct a Digital Elevation Map (DEM) in real-time. The HD software developed by the Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) project is designed to process a DEM and identify safe landing locations in real-time. The hazard detection method is applicable to 4-legged lander geometry and is adaptable to different hazard tolerance and run time requirements. This paper discusses the hazard detection performance of the SPLICE HD software using DEMs generated by the SPLICE Hazard Detection LIDAR.