adaptlanding
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NASA starts testing a more precise landing technology (update)
NASA wants to visit celestial bodies we've never been to before, so it has started testing a precise landing system that will first be used for future trips to Mars. The engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory used a rocket by Masten Space Systems called XA-0.1B "Xombie" (a reusable test rocket that launches and lands vertically) to perform two test flights back in December. They integrated the Autonomous Descent and Ascent Powered-flight Testbed (ADAPT) computer onto the rocket, which is then loaded with the new landing system. In both instances, Xombie had to reach an altitude of 1,066 feet before it started its descent and the two-part landing system kicked in.
