New lunar lander test sparks grass fire at NASA

A new lunar lander that NASA workers were testing apparently sparked a grass fire this afternoon on the grounds at the Johnson Space Center, officials said.

The fire erupted about 2:40 p.m. in an empty field near Saturn and 2nd Street at the space center, officials said.

It was brought under control within about two hours. There were no reports of any injuries, officials said.

The testing believed to have ignited the grass fire was part of Project Morpheus — a NASA-designed lunar vehicle large enough to carry more than 1,000 pounds of cargo to the moon, officials said.

mike.glenn@chron.com