This marks another successful test (Elon Musk did it earlier, I think, with Space X) of an unmanned vehicle ascending, moving laterally, then descending under it’s own power, something that is more difficult to do than the video would make it seem.  This flight took place at the Kennedy Space Center earlier this week.  In this flight, the sixth of the series, the craft flew to 467 feet altitude and then traversed 637 feet, including diverting course mid-flight, before landing in the hazard field 56 feet away from its original target while simulating hazard avoidance.   

WikiPedia has more, HERE, on Project Morpheus.  An excerpt:

Project Morpheus is a NASA project to develop a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) test vehicle called Morpheus Lander in order to demonstrate a new nontoxic spacecraft propellant system (methane and oxygen) and an autonomous landing and hazard detection technology.  The prototype planetary lander is capable of vertical takeoff and landings.  The vehicles are NASA designed robotic landers that will be able to land and takeoff with 1,100 pounds (500 kg) of cargo on the Moon.  The prospect is an engine that runs reliably on propellants that are not only cheaper and safer here on Earth, but could also be potentially manufactured on the Moon or even Mars.

The Alpha prototype lander was manufactured and assembled at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Armadillo Aerospace’s facility near Dallas.  The prototype lander is a “spacecraft” that is about 12 ft (3.7 m) in diameter, weighs approximately 2,300 lb (1,000 kg) and consists of four silver spherical propellant tanks topped by avionics boxes and a web of wires.

The project is trying out cost and time saving “lean development” engineering practices.  Other project activities include appropriate ground operations, flight operations, range safety, and the instigation of software development procedures.  Landing pads and control centers were also constructed.  From the project start in July 2010, about $10 million was spent on materials in the following 3+ years; so the Morpheus project is considered lean and low-cost for NASA.

Now for the way-cool video: