Zachary Mattis
Papers
1
Total Citations
2
H-Index
1
About
Zachary Mattis is a leading figure in the development of autonomous navigation and hazard detection systems for planetary exploration. His primary research focuses on LiDAR-based perception and real-time terrain mapping for robotic landers, with a specific emphasis on enabling safe, precise landings on the Moon and other celestial bodies. Mattis’s most significant contribution is the design, integration, and flight testing of Astrobotic’s Hazard Detection LiDAR system, an engineering model comprising a scanning LiDAR and high-performance computing unit. This system was rigorously tested at lunar analog sites in the Mojave Desert, demonstrating its ability to identify hazardous terrain and guide landers to safe touchdown points in real time. The results of these flight tests, published in 2025, have already garnered attention within the aerospace community, laying critical groundwork for upcoming NASA CLPS missions. By bridging the gap between terrestrial sensor validation and extraterrestrial operational requirements, Mattis is directly advancing the reliability of autonomous landing systems. His work is instrumental in reducing mission risk and expanding the capabilities of robotic explorers, marking him as a key innovator in the next generation of lunar and deep-space exploration technology.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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