Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology spacecraft

NASA’s 2005 DART rendezvous demonstrator combined a dedicated sensor bus with a Pegasus Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion System stage. GPS relative navigation and an Advanced Video Guidance Sensor were intended to guide autonomous approaches to MUBLCOM. Navigation errors prevented the planned sensor transition, consumed excessive attitude-control propellant, and led to a collision before retirement. This vehicle is distinct from the later asteroid-deflection DART spacecraft.