NASA's DART spacecraft is being prepped at Vandenberg Air Force Base for a one-of-a-kind mission. DART, which stands for Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous Technology, is a test of an automatic, fully-robotic spacecraft. After an October launch, the on-board computers will aim DART at its target site, the MUBLCOM satellite. Once DART is in range it will automatically locate, rendezvous and maneuver close to the satellite without any human intervention. The DART mission lasts only 24 hours, but it will set the stage for the development of future unpiloted cargo and servicing missions. NASA looks forward to the success of DART as it paves the way for other autonomous missions where computers will do the driving in space.
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NASA ID
ksc_091504_dart
Date Created
October 6, 2004
Center
KSC
Media Type
video
Photographer
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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