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> Landing on inertial guidance

Which is not the future. Optical/lidar/positioning radio is the future, to make it closed loop (NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array for high, lidar/optical for low altitudes).

> On a very highly engineered landing surface.

As I mentioned, we shouldn't assume the earthy landing legs are used. That would be a very silly assumption.

From what I can extract from your comment, you believe that the positioning system and landing legs are the issue, rather than the control systems. I suspect both are somewhat related: positioning system to place it over predictable regolith with some, yet-undeveloped, landing legs that need to work at 1/6th gravity.

I'm of the opinion that it's possible/solvable, as is NASA. It would be helpful if you would answer why you think it's not possible: what requirement do you see that make positioning and landing on regolith unachievable for SpaceX?

[1] https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/nasas-la...


literalAardvark
It may be possible. It may also be that the regolith is too fluffy in that area to support such a large structure without a pad. I don't believe we know.

Athena had multiple laser altimeters on board: they failed to get a fix, perhaps because of the weird surface.

It's my opinion that this isn't something that's easy to do, even for a company that has landed on Earth.

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