[meteorite-list] The Future is Now: Innovative Advanced Concepts Selected for Continued Study

[Ron Baalke]

August 6, 2014
     
The Future is Now: Innovative Advanced Concepts Selected for Continued Study

Looking ahead to an exciting future, NASA is continuing to invest in concepts 
that may one day revolutionize how we live and work in space with the 
selection of five technology proposals for continued study under the NASA 
Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program.

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, located at the agency's 
headquarters in Washington, based the NIAC Phase II selections on their 
potential to transform future aerospace missions, introduce new capabilities, 
or significantly improve current approaches to building and operating 
aerospace systems. The proposals chosen for continued study address a range 
of visionary concepts, from novel space optics using an orbiting cloud of 
dust-like objects, to pioneering spacecraft-rover hybrids for exploration of 
low-gravity asteroids.

"Technology drives our futures in exploration, science and commercial space; 
and investments in these advanced concepts must be made to ensure we will 
have the spectrum of capabilities for the near term and well into the 21st 
century," said Michael Gazarik, associate administrator for Space Technology. 
"NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate is creating the technologies 
needed for today, while also investing in the concepts that will become 
technological realities of tomorrow. These concepts, anchored to sound 
science, but rich in 'what if' creativity, will make our science, exploration 
and commercial space futures possible."

The five studies chosen to advance to Phase II of the NIAC program include:

-- A concept for a 10-meter, sub-orbital large balloon reflector that might 
be used as a telescope inside a high-altitude balloon. The concept uses part 
of the balloon itself as a reflector for the telescope. The principal 
investigator is C.K. Walker of the Steward Observatory at the University of 
Arizona, Tucson.

-- A spacecraft-rover hybrid concept for the exploration of small solar 
system bodies. The small spacecraft would be deployed from a "mothership" 
onto the surface of a low-gravity object, such as an asteroid or planetary 
moon. The machines, ranging in size from a centimeter to a meter, would use 
spinning flywheels to allow the robotic explorers to tumble and hop across 
the surface of a new frontier. The principal investigator is Marco Pavone of 
Stanford University in California.

-- A concept for deep mapping of small solar system bodies, such as 
asteroids, using subatomic particles to map the interior and small surface 
features. These data could be used to better characterize asteroids and 
gather data about potential resources that could be mined or otherwise used 
by explorers. The principal investigator is T.H. Prettyman of the Planetary 
Science Institute in Tucson.

-- A concept for a low-mass planar photonic imaging sensor, an innovative 
sensor and spectrometer design to replace traditional, bulkier telescopes. 
This concept may provide a higher-resolution, persistent imaging capability 
for outer planetary missions while reducing costs and development time 
because no large optics are required. The principal investigator is S.J. Ben 
Yoo at the University of California, Davis.

-- A granular media imager concept called "Orbiting Rainbows" would use an 
orbiting cloud of dust-like matter as the primary element for an ultra-large 
space aperture -- the space through which light passes during an optical or 
photographic measurement -- that could potentially be used to image distant 
astronomical objects at extremely high resolution. The principal investigator 
is Marco Quadrelli of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, 
California.

NASA selected these projects through a peer-review process that evaluated 
innovativeness and technical viability. All projects are still in the early 
stages of development -- most being 10 or more years away from use on a NASA 
mission.

"This was an extremely competitive year for NIAC Phase II candidates," said 
Jay Falker, NIAC program executive at NASA Headquarters. "But the independent 
peer review process helped identify those that could be the most 
transformative, with outstanding potential for future science and 
exploration."

NIAC Phase II awards can be as much as $500,000 for two years, and allow 
proposers to further develop the most successful concepts from previously 
selected Phase I studies. Phase I studies must demonstrate the initial 
feasibility and benefit of a concept. Phase II studies go to the next level, 
refining designs and exploring aspects of implementing the new technology.

Through programs like NIAC, NASA is demonstrating that early investments and 
partnerships with creative scientists, engineers, and citizen inventors from 
across the nation can provide technological dividends and help maintain 
America's leadership in the new global technology economy.

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate is innovating, developing, 
testing and flying hardware for use in NASA's future missions. During the 
next 18 months, the directorate will make significant new investments to 
address several high-priority challenges in achieving safe and affordable 
deep-space exploration. These focused technology areas are tightly aligned 
with NASA's Space Technology Roadmaps, the Space Technology Investment Plan, 
and National Research Council recommendations.

For a complete list of the selected proposals and more information about 
NIAC, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/niac 

For more information about the Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech 

-end-

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz at nasa.gov