Research/ PLANETARY ROBOTICS
The Development of the MSL Guidance, Navigation, and Control System for Entry, Descent, and Landing
A. Miguel San Martin, Steven W. Lee, Edward C. Wong
Design, Mechanisms & HardwareNTRS subject: Spacecraft Instrumentation and Astrionics · Guidance, Dynamics & Controltext match
Curiosity (MSL)named in title, abstract
NTRSLunar and Planetary Science and Exploration · Spacecraft Instrumentation and Astrionics
On August 5, 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission successfully delivered the Curiosity rover to its intended target. It was the most complex and ambitious landing in the history of the red planet. A key component of the landing system, the requirements for which were driven by the mission ambitious science goals, was the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) system. This paper will describe the technical challenges of the MSL GN&C system, the resulting architecture and design needed to meet those challenges, and the development process used for its implementation and testing.