NASA Morpheus 1.5A Alpha configuration
Morpheus 1.5A Alpha was the oxygen/methane lander configuration used for NASA’s initial free-flight tests in August 2012. Its baseline HD4-A main engine provided 4,200 lbf thrust. After a brief automatic abort during the first attempt, the second free flight lost IMU data and ended in the vehicle’s destruction. Investigation and hardware recovery informed the rebuilt Bravo configuration.
Follow this vehicle family
Future launches and major activity directly linked to this vehicle family.
Identity
- Aliases
- 1.5A AlphaMorpheus 1.5A Alpha
- Family Name
- Morpheus lander testbed
- Full Name
- NASA Morpheus 1.5A Alpha configuration
- Roles
- researchexperimentaltechnology_demonstratorlander
- Status
- retired
- Type
- other
- Variant Name
- 1.5A Alpha
Details
- Description
- Morpheus 1.5A Alpha was the oxygen/methane lander configuration used for NASA’s initial free-flight tests in August 2012. Its baseline HD4-A main engine provided 4,200 lbf thrust. After a brief automatic abort during the first attempt, the second free flight lost IMU data and ended in the vehicle’s destruction. Investigation and hardware recovery informed the rebuilt Bravo configuration.
- First Flight Year
- 2,012
- Last Flight Year
- 2,012
- Manufacturer
- Operator
- Parent Vehicle Family
- Programs
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 1
- Placement
- other
- Propulsion System
- Role
- landing
- Variant Notes
- Gimbaled main engine provides both terrestrial takeoff and powered landing.
- Name
- 1.5A Alpha main-engine configuration
- Notes
- Main engine only; separate integrated roll-control thrusters are not assigned an exact canonical identity here.
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- October 29, 2026 at 15:36:03 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 15:36:03 UTC