NASA Doubles Down, Advances 6 Revolutionary Tech Ideas to New Part
by Company Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) Might 03, 2024
One of many ‘science fiction-like’ ideas – for a lunar railway system to supply payload transport on the Moon – is being developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA’s Revolutionary Superior Ideas program (NIAC) has chosen six visionary idea research for added funding and improvement. Every research has already accomplished the preliminary NIAC section, exhibiting their futuristic concepts – like a lunar railway system and fluid-based telescopes – might present contemporary views and approaches as NASA explores the unknown in house.
The NIAC Part II conceptual research will obtain as much as $600,000 to proceed working over the subsequent two years to handle key remaining technical and funds hurdles and pave their improvement path ahead. When Part II is full, these research might advance to the ultimate NIAC section, incomes further funding and improvement consideration towards changing into a future aerospace mission.
“These numerous, science fiction-like ideas signify a improbable class of Part II research,” mentioned John Nelson, NIAC program government at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Our NIAC fellows by no means stop to amaze and encourage, and this class undoubtedly provides NASA rather a lot to consider when it comes to what’s potential sooner or later.” The six ideas chosen for 2024 NIAC Part II awards are:
Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): Enabling the Subsequent Era of Giant House Observatories would create a big optical observatory in house utilizing fluidic shaping of ionic liquids. These in-space observatories might probably assist examine NASA’s highest precedence astrophysics targets, together with Earth-like exoplanets, first-generation stars, and younger galaxies. The FLUTE research is led by Edward Balaban from NASA’s Ames Analysis Middle in California’s Silicon Valley.
Pulsed Plasma Rocket: Shielded, Quick Transits for People to Mars is an revolutionary propulsion system that depends on utilizing fission-generated packets of plasma for thrust. This revolutionary system might considerably scale back journey instances between Earth and any vacation spot within the photo voltaic system. This research is led by Brianna Clements with Howe Industries in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Nice Observatory for Lengthy Wavelengths (GO-LoW) might change the way in which NASA conducts astronomy. This mega-constellation low-frequency radio telescope makes use of hundreds of autonomous SmallSats able to measuring the magnetic fields emitted from exoplanets and the cosmic darkish ages. GO-LoW is led by Mary Knapp with MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Energy Generator is investigating new in-space energy sources, probably working at larger efficiencies than NASA legacy energy turbines. This expertise might allow small exploration and science spacecraft sooner or later which are unable to hold cumbersome photo voltaic or nuclear energy methods. This energy technology idea research is from Stephen Polly on the Rochester Institute of Know-how in New York.
FLOAT: Versatile Levitation on a Observe can be a lunar railway system, offering dependable, autonomous, and environment friendly payload transport on the Moon. This rail system might assist each day operations of a sustainable lunar base as quickly because the 2030s. Ethan Schaler leads FLOAT at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
ScienceCraft for Outer Planet Exploration distributes Quantum Dot-based sensors all through the floor of a photo voltaic sail, enabling it to develop into an revolutionary imager. Quantum physics would permit NASA to take scientific measurements by learning how the dots soak up gentle. By leveraging the photo voltaic sail’s space, it permits lighter, more cost effective spacecraft to hold imagers throughout the photo voltaic system. ScienceCraft is led by NASA’s Mahmooda Sultana on the company’s Goddard House Flight Middle in Greenbelt, Maryland.
NASA’s House Know-how Mission Directorate funds the NIAC program, as it’s answerable for growing the company’s new cross-cutting applied sciences and capabilities to attain its present and future missions.
To be taught extra about NIAC and the 2024 Part II research, go to right here
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NIAC and the 2024 Part II research
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