The NIAC program fosters innovation by funding early-stage technology concept studies for future consideration and potential commercialization. The combined award for 2025 Concepts is up to $2.625M in grants to evaluate technologies that will enable future aerospace missions.
“Our next steps and giant leaps depend on innovation, and the ideas born from NIAC could fundamentally change how we explore deep space,” said Clayton Turner, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. , how to operate in low Earth orbit, and protect our home planet.” In Washington “by developing Tiny robots that can swim. Through the seas of another world to the growing place Habitats from fungithis program is likely to continue to change.
Newly selected concepts include feasibility studies to explore the Sun’s effects on our solar system, building sustainable lunar habitats out of glass, exploring Saturn’s icy moons, and more. All NIAC studies are in the early stages of conceptual development and are not considered an official NASA mission.
Ryan Weed, Helicity Space LLC in Pasadena, Calif., submitted a proposal. Constellation of Helicity Drive powered spacecraft, A compact and scalable fusion propulsion system, enabling high-speed, multidimensional exploration of the heliosphere and beyond, provides unprecedented insight into how the Sun interacts with our Solar System and interstellar space. Demonstrating the feasibility of fusion propulsion could also benefit deep space exploration, including crewed missions to Mars.
Martin Bermudez, Skyport LLC in Sacramento, Calif., envisions building a large-scale, lunar glass habitat in a low-gravity environment. Nickname Lungs (ground glass structure), This approach involves melting lunar glass alloys to create a large spherical shell structure. The idea offers a promising solution for establishing self-sustaining, large-scale habitats on the lunar surface.
Justin Yum, of the University of Illinois at Urbana, proposed a jumping robot that is aptly named. LEAP (Legs Across the Plume), As a novel robotic sampling concept for exploring Enceladus, a small, icy moon of Saturn covered in geysers or jets. LEAP robots can collect ancient, ocean-derived material directly from Enceladus’ jets and measure the properties of particles in multiple jets as they travel from one to another.
“All breakthroughs start as an idea. The NIAC program allows NASA to enable innovation and invest in unique ideas that support the nation’s aerospace economy,” said John Nelson, Washington. I am NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts Program Executive.
NIAC researchers, known as Fellows, will investigate the fundamental basis of their concepts, identify potential challenges, and explore opportunities to bring those concepts to life.
In addition to the above projects, the following selected individuals received 2025 NIAC Phase I grants:
- Michael Hatch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge: EVE (Exploration of Venus with Electrolysis)
- Saleem Shehryar, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois: SUPREME-QG: Highly accurate space-borne measurement of the equivalent principle signature of quantum gravity
- Philip Ansel, University of Illinois, Urbana: Hy2PASS (Hydrogen Hybrid Power for Aviation Sustainable Systems)
- Ryan Benson, ThinkOrbital Inc., Boulder, Colorado: Construction assembly floor
- Gyula Greschik, Tentguild Engineering Co, Boulder, Colorado: Ribbon: A free-cell structure for solar polar observation
- Marco Quadrelli, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California: Pulsar: Planetary pulse taker
- Ben Hockman, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California: Tobias: Tethered Observatory for Balloon-Based Imaging and Atmospheric Sampling
- Kimberly Weaver, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland: Observing Black Hole Power with the Accretion Explorer Interferometer
- NASA’s John Mather Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland: Inflatable Starshade for Earth-like Exoplanets
- Robert Hinshaw, NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California: MitoMars: Targeted Mitochondria Replacement Therapy to Enhance Deep Space Endurance
- Christine Gregg, NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California: Dynamically Stabilized Large Space Structures by Architected Metamaterials
- Saurabh Williker, Precision Combustion, North Haven, Connecticut: Thermophotocatalysis of water for crewed Mars transit spacecraft oxygen supply
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the NIAC program, as it is responsible for developing new cross-cutting technologies and capabilities to achieve the agency’s current and future missions.
To know more about NIAC, visit:
Finally
Jasmine Hopkins
Headquarters, Washington
321-432-4624
jasmine.s.hopkins@nasa.gov