There are other lights in space, such as individual LEDs inside microscopes on Mars rovers and lights that help spacecraft dock with the International Space Station.
NASA’s new water-seeking lunar vehicle, VIPER, will be the first to be equipped with reflectors .
VIPER
The VIPER team recently tested prototypes in a recreation of a lunar landscape at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, where the mission is headed. Among other things, the arrangement, intensity and other parameters of the lights have been tested because the lunar surface is covered in dust that reflects a lot of light , blinding the VIPER cameras.
To navigate our satellite, VIPER rover drivers will rely on a system of lights and cameras mounted on the rover to stay clear of rocks, descend steep slopes into craters, and avoid other hazards since shaded and illuminated areas have such a contrasting contrast. high that any outline in the landscape is invisible in the dark .
The VIPER lights will be sets of LEDs and will offer the same flexibility as your car’s high beams and parking lights.
While Mars science targets generally allow such vehicles to operate in areas illuminated by the Sun, the solar-powered VIPER mission will venture into places that never receive direct sunlight .