“The space race is on again!”
A rare press release this week by NASA reveals that the agency is investing in no less than 23 of what it calls “potentially revolutionary concepts” that may promote more extensive exploration of outer space in the next generation of space study.
With a $7 million investment, the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program or NIAC funds early-stage technologies, including a solar gravity lens for telescoping viewing, and a plan to identify earth-like planets outside of our solar system.
“NIAC is an innovative program that encourages researchers – and the agency – to think outside of the box for solutions that could overcome challenges facing future science and exploration missions,” said Walt Engelund, deputy associate administrator for programs within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in a press statement around the program. “We’re excited about the new concepts and to see how additional time and resources advances the research selected for follow-on Phase II and III studies.”
Another major innovation mentioned in the report is also still in the concept stage, but has enormous potential for inspiring us to think bigger when it comes to space exploration – NASA reports on research simulating the idea of moving 50 billion miles from Earth using “multiple small spacecrafts and solar sail technology.”
At the same time, researchers are also looking into understanding nearer deep space by mapping asteroids and other celestial bodies within our solar system.
In the generations to come, what was originally seen as the deepest reaches of space may be as familiar to us as our own backyards.
NASA’s investment could have an impact in some technology sectors, and has its place among the various national efforts being announced now to advance deep space research.
“From commercial crew to a flood of Mars missions, 2020 promises to be an exciting year for spaceflight,” wrote Elizabeth Howell at Space.com on Dec. 31, the last day of 2019. “Companies and space agencies alike have a series of interesting missions on deck for the year, from returning lunar samples to studying the sun up close.”
