High-speed Intelligent Robust Autonomous Terrain Exploration (HI-RATE)

High-speed Intelligent Robust Autonomous Terrain Exploration (HI-RATE) will demonstrate robust, high-rate, autonomous surface mobility for future planetary surface missions. The project will develop software for autonomous navigation onboard planetary rovers, leveraging advances in perception sensors and high-performance space computing to provide high-speed autonomy to drive farther faster and with less need for human operator intervention. Utilizing existing robotic mobility platforms, the team will integrate these various subsystems into a system for a long-range demonstration in representative proving grounds.   Taking advantage of new flight-worthy sensors like rover-capable LIDAR sensors combined with a new generation of high-performance space computing, HI-RATE will go beyond the kinds of navigation algorithms used by current planetary rovers like Perseverance or VIPER to adapt cutting edge self-driving car technologies to the unique challenges of planetary surface mobility of the Moon and Mars.   Several infusion paths are explored as part of the HI-RATE effort through engagement with existing study contracts and creating new Workshop opportunities. Infusion paths include: the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) Strategy and Architecture Office (SAO) to collaborate with the NextSTEP-2 Appendix R surface logistics studies, the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program (EHP) on benefits to the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, Pressurized Rover, and the SMD Endurance pre-Phase A team to work specific infusion details. HI-RATE also seeks to identify additional infusion paths through planetary community groups such as LEAG and MEPAG. Discussions with Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) are another avenue for commercial engagement. It is expected that a number of new opportunities for infusion will be exposed through industry engagement.

Current missions use slow computers, stereo imaging cameras (although LIDAR has been used for orbital altimetry, in-space rendezvous and docking, landing systems, and atmospheric measurements, no LIDAR has ever flown with the power, mass, field of view, and range capabilities needed to be rover-capable), approaches that rely heavily on teams of operators, and achieve a mobility pace measured in meters per hour. The new technology developed by HI-RATE will address these issues and enable planetary mobility systems to move faster in a productive manner, cover significantly longer distances, and greatly reduce the need for human operator oversight or control. Systems with these capabilities will enable completely new mission profiles that can achieve significantly greater science objectives at reduced cost. NASA, or its commercial industry partners, will achieve planetary exploration and science objectives in less time and at lower operational cost. This is directly realized through the need for fewer mobile surface assets for a given set of science or utilization goals, thus resulting in fewer required launch and landing service contracts.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.