TriDAR

TriDAR is a visual navigation system that was developed by the Canadian aerospace company Neptec and by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA ) and the American Space Agency ( NASA) has been funded. The system enables support for the docking and undocking of unmanned spacecraft in space. TriDAR works on a laser-based 3- D sensor and a thermal imaging camera. The software of TriDAR uses the geometric information by the 3-D images to be guided by the contours of the object, and calculates the exact position.

TriDAR first tested aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS -128, which was launched on 28 August 2009. The system supported the astronauts rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station (ISS). The system successfully captured the space station because of their shape and calculated the required data. In the test, it was the first time that a 3- D sensor system has been used in space.

STS -128

In the mission, the TriDAR system was installed on board the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission -128. The aim of the test was to be able to detect objects in the space without the use of traditional object reflectors with TriDAR system. The TriDAR system was installed in the cargo bay of the shuttle near the Orbiter Docking System (ODS ). The system was taken during the rendezvous with the International Space Station at a distance of 75 kilometers in operation. The system detected independently the space station, calculated the optimal Andockmaßnahmen and presented the information to the astronauts in shuttle available.

STS -131

The second use of the TriDAR was used aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS -131. The TriDAR system was used during the docking with the space station and put useful information to the Shuttle R -bar Pitch Maneuver available.

STS -135

The TriDAR was used aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS -135 mission to the International Space Station.

Other applications

The system is very versatile. The TriDAR system can be used for rendezvous, docking, landing on planet rover navigation and for other applications. The usability of the system for planetary exploration has been in test areas of the U.S. space agency (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency ( CSA) demonstrates in Hawaii. For this purpose a TriDAR system was installed on a Scarab Lunar Rover at Carnegie Mellon University '. The rover navigated automatically to the target. At the destination, 3 -D images of the environment were made to make this the best site for holes located, to sample the TriDAR system.

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