The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems was recently featured on Space.com for their lunar landing pad project.
The article, written by Amy Thompson, discusses the Vertical Take-off/Vertical Landing pad project PISCES, NASA and their partners started late last year. The landing pad was made completely out of basalt rock material that was later robotically set in place by our rover Helelani.
As the author mentions, VTVL pads will be important in future space expeditions as they provide a stable landing area for spacecraft that will help mitigate the impact of dust and debris.
The next step in the project is testing the landing pad’s durability. PISCES is hosting a rocket engine firing test on Sunday, March 20th to see just how well the pavers hold up under the explosion of a rocket engine.
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