NASA has been supporting projects that may seem like they’re straight out of science fiction but could revolutionize space exploration if realized. John Nelson, a representative of the space agency, acknowledges these projects as “science fiction-like concepts.” While their completion is not guaranteed, endeavours like the lunar rail system could one day become a reality in aerospace missions. These projects, considered ‘ambitious,’ encompass a fluid-based telescope, a transit system for ferrying humans and cargo to Mars, and a lunar railway system. They are part of NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which has allocated funds for ongoing research. Six projects, each completing the initial NIAC phase, are now entering Phase II, receiving over $600,000 for further research over the next two years. While these projects are still in the exploratory phase with no assured success, they are progressing toward potential inclusion in future aerospace missions if they advance to the final NIAC phase.
NASA explains that scaling current space telescope technologies beyond 10 meters in aperture size does not appear economically feasible
John Nelson, the NIAC program executive at NASA headquarters in Washington, remarked, “Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what’s possible in the future.” Advancing space research necessitates the development of increasingly larger telescopes. Edward Balaban from NASA explains that scaling current space telescope technologies beyond 10 meters in aperture size does not appear economically feasible. “Thus, there is a need for cost-effective solutions to scale space telescopes to larger sizes,” he said.
The FLUTE project offers a potential solution by proposing space observatories with large aperture or unsegmented liquid primary mirrors. Balaban explains that these liquid mirrors would be shaped in space using fluidic shaping in microgravity. This concept has already been demonstrated in laboratories under neutral buoyancy environments, aboard the International Space Station, and during parabolic microgravity flights. Another project at NASA involves the development of a Pulsed Plasma Rocket for electric spacecraft propulsion. Currently, there is no technology capable of efficiently and rapidly transporting humans and cargo across vast distances of space.