A NASA robotic spacecraft located a Pentagon satellite in space without any help from human controllers but the mission ended early when the computer-driven craft detected a fuel problem, the mission manager said Saturday. The experimental DART spacecraft _ short for Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology _ had moved to within 300 feet (91.44 meters) of the satellite orbiting 472 miles (759.58 kilometers) above the Earth but ended its approach late Friday, about 11 hours into the mission, manager Jim Snoddy said. The 800 pound (362.88 kilograms) spacecraft was supposed to have maneuvered around the satellite, getting as close as 15 feet (4.57 meters), for another 12 hours before disintegrating in orbit. There were some navigation errors but no indication of a fuel leak, he said in a conference call. A NASA investigation board will search for the cause of the problem. The $110 million (¤85.48 million) mission, classified as high-risk because of its automated controls and low budget, was intended to help lay the groundwork for future projects like robotic delivery of cargo to space shuttles and automated docking and repair between spacecraft in orbit. The DART spacecraft was launched from an aircraft Friday morning. The mission originated at Vandenberg Air Force Base and was managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The Pentagon satellite that was the target of the mission was launched in 1999 and carries special reflectors that are used by guidance systems such as the one aboard DART.
