Hazard Detection and Avoidance
Combined LIDAR + Stereo Hazard Map for Safe Landing
The Combined LIDAR and Stereo Hazard Map is a real-time descent algorithm hosted on radiation-hardened NOR flash and FPGA accelerators to identify safe touchdown zones. Consuming two watts, the software fuses LIDAR point clouds and optical stereo data to build confidence-weighted landing maps with one-degree slope resolution and detection of rocks down to thirty centimeters. Autonomous evaluation is critical near lunar permanently shadowed region rims, where ubiquitous boulder fields, impact craters, and steep slopes present severe landing hazards. Using shape priors and machine learning classification, the system identifies terrain constraints and drives autonomous trajectory replanning during active descent.
Hazard detection algorithm fusing LIDAR + stereo into safe-landing-zone map, identifying rocks, craters, slopes too steep for landing.
Purpose
Hazard detection algorithm fusing LIDAR + stereo into safe-landing-zone map, identifying rocks, craters, slopes too steep for landing.
Context
Child of L2-NAV-LAND within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Slope estimation from 3D point cloud
- ▸Rock/crater detection via shape priors and ML classification
- ▸Safe-landing-zone polygons with confidence weights
- ▸Real-time replanning during descent
- ▸Coordinates with guidance for divert maneuver
Typical implementations
- ▸NASA SPLICE hazard detection heritage
- ▸Morpheus lander HAD algorithm
- ▸Visual SLAM with DEM Anchoring (arXiv 2603.17229)
Lunar considerations
- ▸Lunar boulder fields ubiquitous near PSR rim
- ▸ML-augmented hazard classification as terrain experience grows
- ▸Authenticated DTN software updates
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Hazard detection algorithm fusing LIDAR + stereo into safe-landing-zone map, identifying rocks, craters, slopes too steep for landing. |
| slope resolution deg | 1 |
| rock min size cm | 30 |
Physical
| mass kg | 0 |
| materials | Code on rad-hard NOR flash + FPGA accelerator |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 2 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
| mtbf hours | 500000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Safe-landing-zone map
Requires
- Sensor inputs
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Hazard Detection and Avoidance" (L3-NAV-LAND-HAZ). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-NAV-LAND-HAZ
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.