Practicing for Safe Landings on the Moon and Beyond

On August 27, 2026, an Alta-X drone flew near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The drone carried the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE), an advanced guidance and navigation system. Developed by researchers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the SPLICE experiment has successfully completed simulated lunar descent tests. This project focuses on practicing safe landings on the Moon and beyond to ensure future mission precision and overall safety.