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NASA News ReleasesUnited States4 November 2026

NASA Tests Autonomous Landing System on Drone in California

NASA announced that its Safe and Precise Landing - Integrated Capabilities Evolution system, known as SPLICE, completed simulated lunar descent and landing maneuvers on August 27, 2026. Researchers from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston built the guidance payload, while team members at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, integrated and tested it on an Alta-X drone. The system maps surface terrain using light-detection sensors to create high-resolution elevation maps. If it identifies hazards at a targeted landing zone, it redirects the aircraft to a safer spot. This technology aims to make future robotic and crewed landings on the Moon and Mars safer by preventing crashes on rough ground. NASA project manager Davis Adams stated that the system reflects nearly a decade of development. NASA plans to release the software in its public catalog in fall 2026 for commercial space companies to use.

What was announced

NASA completed flight tests for its SPLICE guidance and navigation system using an Alta-X drone at Rogers Dry Lake in California. Johnson Space Center researchers created the payload, and Armstrong Flight Research Center personnel conducted testing in June, July, and August 2026. On July 15, 2026, the team tested hover maneuvers to confirm data flow and communications between the payload and drone. On August 27, 2026, the drone executed simulated descent and landing profiles. The system processes light-detection sensor data to build digital elevation maps of terrain in real time, steering the aircraft away from hazardous obstacles.

What it means

The successful drone flights raised the technology readiness level of SPLICE, bringing it closer to deployment on space missions. NASA designed the system to help crewed and robotic craft land on Earth, the Moon, or Mars without manual human control. Commercial lander companies preparing for upcoming lunar base missions already use data from earlier SPLICE testing. NASA plans to list the system in its software catalog in fall 2026, allowing private firms to adopt its navigation algorithms for precise landings and surface movement.

What the announcement does not tell us

The release does not state the exact cost of developing SPLICE over its nearly ten years of testing. It does not name the specific commercial lander companies currently testing or using the technology. The announcement also leaves out the specific date for the upcoming full-scale test at Voyager Technologies in Mojave, California, noting only that it occurs later in the month. Finally, NASA does not specify which upcoming Artemis or Moon Base mission will be the first to fly SPLICE into space.

How this was written

This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is NASA News Releases’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.

NASA successfully demonstrated technology designed to help spacecraft autonomously navigate to safe landing sites on the Moon and on other planets. An Alta-X drone equipped with the agency’s Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) guidance, navigation, and control payload completed simulated lunar descent and landing maneuvers Aug. 27. The flight took place […]
Source: NASA News Releases
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