Straight out of science fiction: NASA promotes six futuristic space technologies

Each completed the first phase of NASA's accelerator program, showing that its future ideas — such as a lunar rail system and liquid-based telescopes — might provide new perspectives and approaches as NASA explores the unknown in space.

Six visionary concept studies have been selected by NASA's Innovative Advanced Ideas Program (NIAC) for further funding and development. Each completed the first phase of the program, showing that their future ideas — such as a lunar rail system and liquid-based telescopes — might provide new perspectives and approaches as NASA explores the unknown in space.

NIAC Phase 2 concept studies will receive up to $600,000 to continue their work over the next two years and address important remaining technical and budgetary hurdles and advance development. After Phase 2 is completed, these studies will be able to advance to the final phase of NIAC, and will receive additional funding and be considered for development toward becoming a future space mission.

"These diverse science fiction-like ideas are a fantastic cycle of Phase 2 studies," said John Nelson, NIAC program director. "NIAC participants never cease to amaze us and inspire us, and this cycle certainly gives NASA a lot of food for thought about what is possible in the future."

The six ideas selected for NIAC Phase 2 grants for 2024 are:

• Liquid telescope: will enable the next generation of large space observatories by creating a large optical observatory in space using fluidic design of ionic liquids. These observatories in space could potentially help study NASA's high-priority astrophysical targets, including Earth-like extrasolar planets, first-generation stars and young galaxies.
• Plasma burst missile: Protected and fast human transport to Mars is an innovative propulsion system that relies on the use of plasma bundles created by fission to generate thrust. This innovative system will be able to significantly reduce travel times between the country and any destination in the solar system.
• The large observatory for long wavelengths could change the way NASA conducts astronomy. This low-frequency radio telescope mega system uses thousands of small autonomous satellites capable of measuring the magnetic fields emitted by extrasolar planets and the dark ages of the universe.
• Electricity generator using radioisotopic thermal radiation cells (Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator) researches new power sources in space, which potentially work more efficiently than NASA's old power generators. In the future, this technology could enable small research and science spacecraft that cannot carry large solar or nuclear power generation systems.
• FLOAT: flexible floating on a rail There will be a train system on the moon, which will allow reliable, autonomous and efficient cargo transfer on the moon. This rail system could support the daily operation of a sustainable base on the moon as early as the 1930s.
• ScienceCraft for exploring outer planets Scatters quantum dot-based sensors over the surface of a solar sail, enabling it to become an innovative imaging tool. Quantum physics will allow NASA to make scientific measurements by investigating how the dots absorb light. Utilizing the space of the solar sail allows lighter and more affordable spacecraft to carry imaging equipment throughout the solar system.

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