NASA: Advanced Concepts Selected For Continued Study

By  //  August 7, 2014

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts

ABOVE VIDEO: During a July 31 briefing at NASA headquarters, agency officials announced seven science instruments, out of fifty-eight proposed, have been selected to be part of the next rover NASA will send to Mars in 2020. The Mars 2020 rover will be a new version of the Curiosity rover currently operating on Mars – with more sophisticated hardware to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations, including geological assessments, habitability of the environment and searching for signs of past life on the Red Planet.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — 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.

NIAC-PHASE-II-435
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.gov image)

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.

Michael Gazarik
Michael Gazarik

“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.”

All projects are still in the early stages of development — most being 10 or more years away from use on a NASA mission.