NASA has selected 25 early-stage concepts of different platforms that may aid future space exploration missions.
The space agency said Saturday selected technology proposals for the 2018 Innovative Advanced Concepts program encompass the areas of meteoroid impact detection, space telescope swarm and small orbital debris mapping.
“The NIAC program gives NASA the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America’s innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey,†said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
Phase I awardees will use $125,000 in total funds to design and analyze their proposed technologies over a nine-month period and can apply for second-phase grants if they complete their feasibility studies.
NASA offers up to $500,000 over two years for each project that moves to phase II of the NIAC program.
Click here to view the agency’s full list of grant recipients.