Heimdall

Blue Ghost Mission 3 · manifested · NASA payload

A four-camera system with a digital video recorder. A descent imager films the landing plume hitting the regolith and maps the site from about 50 km down. A workspace imager watches the area SAMPLR's arm can reach. A regolith imager (about 35 micrometers per pixel) and a panoramic imager ride on the end of the SAMPLR arm. Goals: landing-site geology, regolith properties, plume–regolith interaction, and ground truth for hazard detection and autonomous navigation.

PI: R. Aileen Yingst (Planetary Science Institute)
Built by: Planetary Science Institute (lead); cameras designed and built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), San Diego; science team includes NASA Goddard and the University of Central Florida (plume–regolith analysis) (other)

Technology	camera system (descent, workspace, regolith close-up and panoramic imaging)
Moon Base need	DN-017 L, DN-018 L, DN-014 L, DN-008 L (Partly NASA's link. NASA's CP-21 page says Lunar-VISE and Heimdall will show how regolith behaves when hit by plumes, and that Heimdall's panoramic images could support autonomous navigation and highlight hazards. The tie to data gaps by ID is the study's reading: plume ejecta and site alteration (DN-017 L, DN-018 L), rock sizes and hazards below orbital resolution (DN-014 L), and regolith geotechnical properties (DN-008 L). The gaps are written for the South Pole; Gruithuisen is a northern near-side site, so the fit is partial. NASA does not tie Heimdall to the Moon Base by name.)
Route onto CLPS	LSITP; Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads: one of the 12 payloads NASA selected on 1 July 2019. NASA Marshall's development contract 80MSFC20C0015 was signed on 13 November 2019 (USAspending; PSI's page says 19 November). NASA assigned Heimdall to Firefly's task order CP-21 on 18 December 2024, more than five years after selection.; 2019-07-01
Timeline	first funding 2019-11-13 (LSITP contract 80MSFC20C0015 signed; PSI's page gives 19 Nov 2019); first flight test No flight of Heimdall itself; its camera line has flown (MSL, OSIRIS-REx, GOSAT-2).; selected 2019-07-01; task order CP-21 to Firefly 2024-12-18; launch Not yet launched. Landing targeted for 2028.; landing not in public sources
On the Moon	not yet flown
FO	related

Flights before the Moon

• Earth orbit or deep space: MSSS cameras and recorder on Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity), OSIRIS-REx and GOSAT-2 (the team's list; which units are not named), not in public sources. The team calls Heimdall a 'high flight-heritage' instrument, citing MSL, OSIRIS-REx and GOSAT-2: Malin's commercial camera and DVR line has flown on Mars, in deep space and in Earth orbit. Not Heimdall itself, and the abstract does not say which flown units Heimdall's cameras match.

"Heimdall is a high flight-heritage (MSL, OSIRIS-REx, GOSAT-2) instrument consisting of four 5-megapixel color CMOS cameras and DVR"
— hou.usra.edu: 1439.pdf, LPSC 2020 abstract 1439, introduction

Heritage hardware

• commercial instrument (build-to-print): PSI describes Heimdall as a build-to-print, high flight-heritage commercial camera system from MSSS. Its descent-image mapping method (structure from motion) was shown at Mars with the Mars Descent Imager; its stereo micro-topography method with InSight's arm.

"The Heimdall camera system is a high flight-heritage commercial instrument consisting of four 5-megapixel color CMOS cameras and DVR."
— Heimdall: A flexible build-to-print camera system for conducting lunar science on commercial vehi…, Overview

"demonstrated at Mars via the Mars Descent Imager"
— hou.usra.edu: 1232.pdf, LPSC 2025 abstract 1232

Funding before the lunar flight

• NASA LSITP development contract 80MSFC20C0015 to the Planetary Science Institute, NASA Marshall, signed 13 Nov 2019, running to 31 Oct 2026. Subawards: Malin Space Science Systems about USD 2.34 million to build and deliver the camera system; University of Central Florida about USD 52,000 to lead plume-interaction and regolith analysis; others for science support. A 2025 modification pays PSI to store the payload until flight. (NASA SMD LSITP; 2019-2026): $3,653,580

"MALIN SPACE SCIENCE SYSTEMS (MSSS) WILL BEGIN BUILDING AND IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE AND DELIVER THE"
— USAspending.gov, award 80MSFC20C0015, subaward 1687-MSSS, 2343652.0; award obligated 3653580.0, base and all options 5371647.0

"HEIMDALL IS A FLEXIBLE CAMERA SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING LUNAR SCIENCE ON COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM ALL PRE-FLIGHT ACTIVITIES WHILE STORING THE PAYLOAD."
— USAspending.gov, award 80MSFC20C0015, transaction P00022, 2025-06-23, 295680.0

"Agency Award Number 80MSFC20C0015"
— Heimdall: A flexible build-to-print camera system for conducting lunar science on commercial vehi…, Project Details

"This work was funded by NASA’s LSITP program."
— hou.usra.edu: 1439.pdf, Acknowledgements (LPSC 2020 abstract 1439)

How it got onto CLPS

"Heimdall is a flexible camera system for conducting lunar science on commercial vehicles."
— NASA Selects 12 New Lunar Science, Technology Investigations - NASA, release of 1 Jul 2019

"is a flexible camera system that will be used to take pictures of the landing site from above the horizon to the ground directly below the lander"
— More NASA Science, Tech will Fly to Moon Aboard Future Firefly Flight - NASA, release of 18 Dec 2024

"Agency Award Number 80MSFC20C0015"
— Heimdall: A flexible build-to-print camera system for conducting lunar science on commercial vehi…, Project Details

On the Moon

Planned: descent imaging from about 50 km, then surface imaging with two cameras on the SAMPLR arm.

"Two Heimdall imagers are mounted on the end of SAMPLR"
— hou.usra.edu: 1232.pdf, LPSC 2025 abstract 1232

FO's role

Grade: related. Adrienne Dove (UCF) is second author on Heimdall's plan for plume–regolith work, and Heimdall's contract pays UCF to lead plume-interaction analysis (a USAspending subaward). Dove was Co-I on Ejecta STORM, a laser instrument that FO flew under Astrobotic's Xodiac to measure plume-blown dust; its 2023 flights gave 'realistic blowing of dust under a rocket exhaust' to develop image-processing algorithms. Same subject (plume ejecta) and a team member in common, but a different instrument: related work by the same team, not an FO flight of Heimdall, and no source says the FO work fed Heimdall. The first pass graded it company-level; an independent second check raised it to related, because the rule for related asks only for related work by the same team. Dove also leads other FO regolith experiments (see Lunar-VISE). PSI appears once in FO's records, as a supporting organization on an unrelated regolith project (TechPort 158644); that is organization only.

FO flights: not in public sources. FO bought Xodiac flights for Ejecta STORM (FO records); none was for Heimdall, and per-flight costs can't be split in public data.

"Our laser-based instrument Ejecta STORM was operated on the Xodiac rocket"
— TechPort project 106706, description, Summary of Flight Test 2020-11-12

"The tests flights provided the realistic blowing of dust under a rocket exhaust that we needed to develop image processing algorithms."
— TechPort project 106706, description, flight summary 2023-09-12 and 2023-10-03

"LEAD ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS OF PLUME INTERACTION AND REGOLITH PROPERTIES"
— USAspending.gov, award 80MSFC20C0015, subaward 1687-UCF, 51551.33, 2023-10-19

"the Heimdall imaging suite"
— earlier finding of this study (not a public source)

"R. A. Yingst1, A. Dove2, and the Heimdall instrument team"
— hou.usra.edu: 5038.pdf, author line

"2University of Central Florida"
— hou.usra.edu: 5038.pdf, affiliations

"Our laser-based instrument Ejecta STORM was operated on the Xodiac rocket"
— TechPort project 106706, description, Summary of Flight Test 2020-11-12

Data: name: Adrienne Dove; role: Co-Investigator
— TechPort project 106706, contacts

Data: name: Adrienne Dove; role: Principal Investigator
— TechPort project 106614, contacts

"Researchers tested the Ejecta STORM technology’s integration with a lander and operation in flight conditions that simulate the plume effects of a lunar lander"
— Flight Summaries - NASA

"R.A. Yingst1, B.A. Cohen2, W.B. Garry2, M.E. Minitti3, M.A. Ravine4, R.N. Watkins1, and K.E. Young2"
— hou.usra.edu: 1439.pdf, author line

Data: name: Planetary Science Institute; role: Supporting Organization
— TechPort project 158644, otherOrganizations

Who built it

"PI: Dr. Aileen Yingst, Planetary Science Institute"
— CLPS CP-21 Science - NASA Science

"The camera system is designed and built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS)."
— hou.usra.edu: 1439.pdf, LPSC 2020 abstract 1439

"Heimdall’s Panoramic Imager being tested in the clean room at Malin Space Science Systems."
— CLPS CP-21 Science - NASA Science

"R. A. Yingst1, A. Dove2, and the Heimdall instrument team"
— hou.usra.edu: 5038.pdf, Lunar Surface Science Workshop abstract 5038 (2024)

Moon Base need

"Lunar-VISE and Heimdall will teach us about the way regolith behaves when affected by plumes, which will inform future mission and instrument design."
— CLPS CP-21 Science - NASA Science

"The Descent Imager (HeiDI) will assess how far particles spread during landing and how long they stay lofted."
— CLPS CP-21 Science - NASA Science

"data that could potentially support future autonomous navigation systems and highlight potential exploration hazards"
— CLPS CP-21 Science - NASA Science

"Characterize the lunar regolith ejected by rocket exhaust plumes interacting with the lunar"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: DN-017 L: In situ measurement of particle velocity during lunar plume surface interaction (PSI) phenomena, Description

"Constrain the size-frequency distribution and shape of lunar rocks/regolith that exist"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: DN-014 L: High resolution lunar rock size distribution and morphology at the lunar south pole, Description

Open questions

• Which flown MSSS units (on MSL, OSIRIS-REx, GOSAT-2) Heimdall's cameras and recorder are built to print from: not in the sources read.
• Was the Heimdall descent imager ever flown on a test vehicle to film a plume before the Moon? Not in public sources.
• Is the UCF subaward on Heimdall (plume analysis) Dove's, and did her Ejecta STORM work on FO flights shape Heimdall's descent-imaging plan? The sources don't say.