Mike Zanetti (ST13) and partners have developed a remote-sensing mapping system set to aid lunar exploration. The Kinematic Navigation and Cartography Knapsack (KNaCK) is a mobile lidar scanner. Donned like a hiker’s backpack, it makes use of an innovative type of lidar called frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidar to provide Doppler velocity and range for millions of measurement points per second. These measurement points instantly create a real-time navigation system, delivering to the explorer a 3D “point cloud” or high-resolution map of the surrounding terrain. Using KNaCK during rover excursions and when traveling on foot, explorers could precisely map the topography of the lunar landscape. Lidar even works in pitch blackness, relieving astronauts of the need to haul cumbersome lighting rigs everywhere they go. It was used recently to conduct a 3D reconstruction of the 6-mile-long sea barrier dunes at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which protect its primary rocket launch pads. Kennedy and Marshall engineers will continue to use KNaCK to assess the impact of storms on dune erosion, ensuring the safety of future flight missions as they further refine the system.
The KNaCK project was featured in a NASA article at https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/releases/2022/nasa-partners-develop-lunar-backpack-technology-to-aid-new-moon-explorers.html, and on several other tech sites including SCIENCEalert (https://www.sciencealert.com/look-at-this-nasa-backpack-designed-for-mapping-the-surface-of-the-moon) and TechCrunch (https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/21/aeva-and-nasa-want-to-map-the-moon-with-lidar-powered-knack-pack/?guccounter=1).
