2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A collage of artist concepts highlighting the novel approaches proposed by the 2026 NIAC awardees for possible future missions.NASA/Left to Right: Keunhan Park, Michael Rubenstein, Austin Phoenix, Benjamin Schafer, A.C. Charania, Gilly Elor, Pablo Sobron, Marco Quadrelli, Daniel Drew, Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Jeff Nosanov, Anish Damodaran Phase [...]
1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Graviational Wave Detection concept.Paul Stankus Paul Stankus Brookhaven Science Associates The scientific goal is to enable a new method for observing gravitational waves at low frequencies, based on the astrometric GW signature — gravitational waves passing by the Earth will [...]
1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Mapping Alien Continents concept.Paul Stankus Paul Stankus Brookhaven Science Associates The scientific goal of the proposed work will be reconstructing the image, ie resolving surface features, of an Earth-like exoplanet around a nearby star as seen in visible light. The innovation [...]
3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys concept.Pablo Sobron Pablo Sobron Sanchez SETI Institute This proposal explores a new class of reconnaissance spacecraft that map minerals from orbit using Raman spectroscopy during high-speed flybys–without landing, sample return, or extended dwell. If feasible, this [...]
3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials concept.David Smith David Smith Duke University The increasing population of spacefaring vehicles and satellites motivates increasingly powerful technologies for space situational awareness (SSA). While the US space surveillance network (SSN) is able to monitor objects down to about [...]
3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions concept.Benjamin Schafer Benjamin Schafer Rarified Technologies, Inc. We propose a new approach to atmospheric sensing at 30-100 km altitudes using photophoretically levitating tracers. These lightweight structures harness sunlight to remain suspended for up [...]
1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations concept.Michael Rubenstein Michael Rubenstein Northwestern University, Chicago We propose a mission to use ~10,000 actively steerable femtosats to map the ring composition, atmospheric composition and density, and the magnetic field distribution of Saturn. Conducting in-situ surveys [...]
3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Graphic depiction of the PRAXIS concept.Marco Quadrelli Marco Quadrelli NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Humanity has never touched the particles of a planetary ring, but if we were able to get close enough and sample them, it will transform understanding of ring structure and origins for [...]
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 members are pictured in their pressure suits seated inside a mockup Dragon spacecraft during a preflight training session at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left are Roscosmos Sergey Teteryatnikov, NASA astronauts Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk. Credit: SpaceX NASA and its partners [...]
4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A modified Saab 340B aircraft in flight powered in part by a hybrid electric system built by GE Aerospace, along with NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing.GE Aerospace An aircraft powered by a megawatt-class hybrid-electric engine developed in collaboration with NASA and built by GE [...]
