--- title: NASA's Morpheus Prototype Completes Successful Test Landing description: NASA'S Morpheus prototype demonstrates it can land unmanned spacecraft on harsh planetary terrain in the dark. canonical: https://time.com/2798498/nasa-morpheus-test-landing/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-30T15:18:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:52:55.973Z article:section: Science og:title: This NASA Test Looks Like A UFO Landing og:description: NASA'S Morpheus prototype demonstrates it can land unmanned spacecraft on harsh planetary terrain in the dark. og:url: https://time.com/2798498/nasa-morpheus-test-landing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77c288163035610f/69869571f983e7073404e2ce/nasa-morpheus.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: A free-flight test of the Morpheus prototype lander and Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 28, 2014. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This NASA Test Looks Like A UFO Landing twitter:description: NASA'S Morpheus prototype demonstrates it can land unmanned spacecraft on harsh planetary terrain in the dark. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77c288163035610f/69869571f983e7073404e2ce/nasa-morpheus.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This NASA Test Looks Like A UFO Landing > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=daa7bfbe-556a-472e-8158-f7eb239bb004&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Morpheus Lander Test Launch [Watch (HLS stream): Morpheus Lander Test Launch](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/DNQF6lXi.m3u8) (1:48)  _Published 2014-05-30_ by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff May 30, 2014 3:18 PM UTC by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff May 30, 2014 3:18 PM UTC NASA on Friday released imagery from a test run of its Morpheus prototype, which it says demonstrates it can land unmanned spacecraft on harsh planetary terrain in the dark. The test, NASA said, was conducted Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA says its hazard detection system, “assisted by three light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, located obstacles—such as rocks and craters—and safely landed on the lunar-like hazard field a quarter mile away from the NASA Center.” “These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces,” NASA said. ## Transcript Three, two, one. Ignition. Throw level. Main stage. Ascend. [ INAUDIBLE ] Good control. 100 meters. [ INAUDIBLE ]. Good control. 200 meters. [ INAUDIBLE ] Quad one. HDS operate. T go 50. Good control. Safe site complete. Targeting AFM safe site. Quad two. T go 50. Good control. [ INAUDIBLE ]. Good control. Download of VTB Nav. No Action. [ INAUDIBLE ]. T sub final. Shut down. [ INAUDIBLE ]. 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