Accretion Explorer Interferometer

Accretion Explorer Interferometer

Kimberly WeaverNASA Goddard Space Flight Center Some of the most enigmatic objects in the Universe are giant supermassive black holes (SMBH). Yet after 30 years of study, we don’t know precisely how these objects produce their power. This requires observations at X-ray wavelengths. The state-of-the-art for X-ray images is Chandra (~0.5-1 arcsecond resolution) but this … Read more

Thermo-Photo-Catalysis

Thermo-Photo-Catalysis

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist concept highlighting the novel approach proposed by the 2025 NIAC awarded selection of the Thermo-Photo-Catalysis of Water for Crewed Mars Transit Spacecraft Oxygen Supply concept. NASA/Saurabh Vilekar Saurabh VilekarPrecision Combustion Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) proposes to develop a uniquely compact, lightweight, low-power, and … Read more

Mycotecture off Planet

Mycotecture off Planet

Lynn RothschildNASA Ames Research Center (ARC) A turtle carries its habitat. While reliable, it costs energy in transporting mass. NASA makes the same trade-off when it transports habitats and other structures off planet “on the back” of its missions. While this approach is reliable, to save upmass and increase mission flexibility, NASA must be more … Read more

Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) – NASA

Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) – NASA

Ethan SchalerNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory We want to build the first lunar railway system, which will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon. A durable, long-life robotic transport system will be critical to the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base in the 2030’s, as envisioned in NASA’s Moon to Mars plan … Read more

Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator – NASA

Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator – NASA

Stephen PollyRochester Institute of Technology In this project we will continue our Phase I efforts to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of a revolutionary power source for missions to the outer planets utilizing a new paradigm in thermal power conversion, the thermoradiative cell (TRC). Operating like a solar cell in reverse, the TRC converts heat … Read more

The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW) – NASA

The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW) – NASA

Mary KnappMIT Humankind has never before seen the low frequency radio sky. It is hidden from ground-based telescopes by the Earth’s ionosphere and challenging to access from space with traditional missions because the long wavelengths involved (meter- to kilometer-scale) require infeasibly massive telescopes to see clearly. Electromagnetic radiation at these low frequencies carries crucial information … Read more

Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR): Shielded, Fast Transits for Humans to Mars – NASA

Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR): Shielded, Fast Transits for Humans to Mars – NASA

Brianna ClementsHowe Industries The future of a space-faring civilization will depend on the ability to move both cargo and humans efficiently and rapidly. Due to the extremely large distances that are involved in space travel, the spacecraft must reach high velocities for reasonable mission transit times. Thus, a propulsion system that produces a high thrust … Read more

Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): Enabling the Next Generation of Large Space Observatories – NASA

Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): Enabling the Next Generation of Large Space Observatories – NASA

Edward BalabanNASA ARC The future of space-based UV/optical/IR astronomy requires ever larger telescopes. The highest priority astrophysics targets, including Earth-like exoplanets, first generation stars, and early galaxies, are all extremely faint, which presents an ongoing challenge for current missions and is the opportunity space for next generation telescopes: larger telescopes are the primary way to … Read more