NASA Selects Innovative Advanced Concepts

NASA has selected 12 proposals for study under Phase I of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program, which aims to turn science fiction into fact.

 

"NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program invites innovators everywhere – industry, academia, NASA centers, other agencies – to propose bold, visionary ideas," says Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington. "We're working together to transform the future of aerospace while investigating new technologies that may one day benefit our new technology economy and our lives here on Earth."

 

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate chose this year's Phase I proposals based on their potential to transform future aerospace missions by enabling either entirely new missions or breakthroughs in future aerospace capabilities, accelerating progress toward NASA's goals.

 

The selected proposals include a wide range of imaginative concepts, including 3-D printing of biomaterials, such as arrays of cells; using galactic rays to map the insides of asteroids; and an "eternal flight" platform that could hover in Earth's atmosphere, potentially providing better imaging, Wi-Fi, power generation, and other applications.

 

NIAC Phase I awards are about $100,000 to conduct nine-month initial definition and analysis studies of a concept. If the basic feasibility studies are successful, proposers can apply for Phase II funding as much as $500,000 for two more years of concept maturation.

 

"These new Phase I selections include potential breakthroughs for Earth and space science, diverse operations and the potential for new paths that expand human civilization and commerce into space," says NIAC Program Executive Jay Falker.

 

NASA solicits visionary, long-term concepts for technological maturation based on their potential value to the agency's future space missions and operational needs. The projects are chosen through a peer-review process that evaluates their innovative potential, technical approach, and benefits for study in a timely manner. All are very early in development and typically years from implementation.

 

The portfolio of diverse and innovative ideas selected for NIAC awards represent multiple technology areas, including in-space propulsion, human habitation, science instruments, materials for use in space, and exploring other diverse technology paths needed to meet NASA's strategic goals.