Lidar uses laser light to measure distance. Barr and his team began planning a field campaign in 2019, repurposing equipment and developing a drone-based simulation system for dynamic tests at Lockheed Martin facilities in Colorado and California, NASA reported. [S1]
At Littleton, Colorado, the team tested across distances from 50 meters to docking. At Santa Cruz, California, tests ran from 6,500 meters down to 10 meters, just before the final docking phase. NASA said testing in Santa Cruz often began before sunrise and continued past sunset to complete the schedule. [S1]
Barr brought more than two decades of experience with WindTracer, a ground-based lidar system used to measure wind speed and turbulence at airports and wind farms and in atmospheric research. He described moving to a space program as a steep learning curve. In 2025, NASA recognized his dedication to astronaut safety and mission success with a Space Flight Awareness honor. [S1]
Source documents
- Laser Focused: Keith Barr Leads Orion’s Lunar Docking Effortshttps://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/laser-focused-keith-barr-leads-orions-lunar-docking-efforts/