NASA Tests New Imaging Technology for Future Moon and Mars Missions

The CLIC 2 mission lifted off at 7:16 a.m. MDT from NASA's balloon launch facility and climbed to an altitude of approximately 126,000 feet. The balloon remained airborne for three hours and 41 minutes.

The mission carried a small camera system capable of processing images in real time. The technology is being tested for a potential role in helping future planetary rovers identify safer landing locations.

The ability to evaluate terrain from a distance is important for planetary exploration. Landing spacecraft on the Moon or Mars requires careful selection of locations because surfaces can contain slopes, rocks, craters and other hazards.

A camera capable of processing images rapidly could eventually provide information useful to autonomous landing systems.

The CLIC 2 balloon flight was not itself a lunar or Martian mission. Instead, it provided an opportunity to test technology under high-altitude conditions before it is considered for more demanding applications.

Scientific balloons are valuable to NASA because they can reach the stratosphere without the cost and complexity of an orbital launch.

At approximately 126,000 feet, the CLIC 2 payload operated above most of Earth's atmosphere. The environment allows engineers to evaluate equipment under conditions that differ substantially from those at ground level.

The balloon platform also makes it possible to recover hardware after a flight, depending on mission design.

That recoverability can be important during technology development because engineers can examine instruments after exposure to high-altitude conditions and compare their actual performance with expectations.

The CLIC 2 mission represents the second flight of the Compact Large-sensor Imaging Camera project. The first flight helped provide experience with the technology, while the new mission offered another opportunity to test and refine its capabilities.

Real-time image processing is particularly important for autonomous exploration.

Communication delays between Earth and distant spacecraft can make it difficult for controllers to respond immediately to changing conditions. A system capable of analyzing images onboard could allow a spacecraft or rover to make decisions without waiting for instructions from Earth.

The concept could have applications during planetary landings, when spacecraft must identify suitable terrain within a limited amount of time.

The technology also demonstrates how planetary exploration increasingly depends on advances in computing as well as cameras and spacecraft hardware.

Modern exploration vehicles collect enormous quantities of visual and scientific data. Processing some of that information locally can reduce the amount that must be transmitted and allow spacecraft systems to respond more quickly.

The balloon test therefore combines several areas of technology, including imaging, onboard processing and aerospace systems.

NASA's balloon program has become an important testing platform for technologies intended for future missions. Engineers can use high-altitude flights to identify problems before equipment is placed aboard spacecraft.

That approach can reduce risk because hardware destined for the Moon or Mars must operate reliably in environments that are difficult and expensive to reproduce on Earth.

The CLIC 2 flight also illustrates the broader role of New Mexico in American aerospace research. Fort Sumner has long been used for scientific balloon operations because its location and geography provide favorable conditions for launches and long-duration flights.

The balloon campaign allows NASA and its research partners to conduct multiple technology demonstrations.

For the future of planetary exploration, the technology tested Monday could contribute to more autonomous spacecraft.

Landing safely remains one of the most difficult stages of planetary missions. A spacecraft must approach its destination at high speed, determine its position and select terrain that is suitable for touchdown.

Improved imaging and real-time analysis could give future systems more information during those critical moments.

The CLIC 2 mission does not guarantee that the technology will eventually fly to another planet. Additional testing and qualification would be required before equipment could be incorporated into an operational space mission.

Nevertheless, the successful balloon flight represents an important step in the development process.

NASA's use of a high-altitude balloon also demonstrates how space technology can be tested incrementally. Rather than moving directly from a laboratory to a planetary mission, engineers can evaluate systems in progressively more demanding environments.

The August 24 flight therefore had significance beyond its relatively short duration. It provided another opportunity to evaluate technology that could eventually help spacecraft make safer decisions during future exploration of the Moon and Mars.