A researcher at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia will investigate a concept for generating and distributing energy on the moon. The “light bending” system would capture, concentrate and focus sunlight using telescope optics.
An industry-based researcher at Trans Astronautica Corporation proposed a conceptual method for creating Earth in space using carbon-rich asteroids and fungi. The concept suggests that the fungi would break down the material and turn it into soil to grow food and preserve large-scale habitats in deep space.
An assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University will investigate lightweight and deployable structural design to enable kilometer-scale structures in space. The proposal suggests the structure could serve as the backbone of a large rotating spacecraft capable of producing artificial gravity.
“There is an overwhelming number of new entrants to the program this year,” said Jason Derleth, NIAC Program Director. “All but two of the researchers selected for Phase I awards will be the first NIAC grant recipients, demonstrating that NASA’s early stage opportunities continue to engage new creative thinkers from around the country.”
The full list of researchers selected to receive NIAC Phase I fellowships in 2021 and the titles of their proposals are:
Sarbajit Banerjee, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station in College Station
Regolith Adaptive Modification System to support early alien planetary landings
Sigrid Close, Stanford University in Stanford, California
Exploring Uranus: Sustained ChipSat / CubeSat Activity from Emitted Electromagnetic Radiation (SCATTER)
Amelia Greig, University of Texas at El Paso
Ablative Arc Mining for In-Situ Resource Usage
Zachary Manchester, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh
Kilometers-scale space structures from a single launch
Patrick McGarey, JPL
Passively expanding dipole array for moon sounds (PEDALS)
Quinn Morley, Planet Enterprises in Gig Harbor, Washington
Autonomous Robotic Demonstrator for Deep Drilling (ARD3)
Christopher Morrison, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC-Tech) in Seattle
Extrasolar Object Interceptor and Sample Return powered by compact, ultra-powerful radioisotope batteries
E. Joseph Nemanick, The Aerospace Corporation of Santa Monica, California
Atomic Planar Power for lightweight reconnaissance (APPLE)
Steven Oleson, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland
Titan Sample Return using in-situ propellants
Marco Pavone, Stanford University
ReachBot: small robot for large mobile manipulation tasks in Mars caves
Ronald Polidan, Lunar Resources Inc. in Houston
FarView: Lunar Far Side Radio Observatory fabricated in-situ
Ethan Schaler, JPL (two selections)
FLOAT: Flexible levitation on a track
SWIMMING: observe with independent microswimmers
Jane Shevtsov, Trans Astronautica Corporation in Lake View Terrace, California
Make soil for space habitats by seeding fungal asteroids
Charles Taylor, Langley
Light bending machine
Joshua Vander Hook, JPL
Solar System Pony Express
NIAC supports visionary research ideas through multiple progressive study phases. Researchers in the U.S. government, business, and academia with high-impact ideas can submit proposals.
Phase II NIAC researchers will receive grants of up to $ 500,000 to further develop their concept for up to two years. Phase III aims to strategically transfer NIAC concepts with the greatest potential impact to NASA, other government agencies or commercial partners. Phase III researchers will receive a contract of up to $ 2 million to mature their mission concept over two years.
To learn more about NASA’s requests and opportunities for space technology, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/solicitations