NASA is currently working on several revolutionary projects that have the potential to transform the way it conducts astronomy and space exploration. One of these projects is the Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW), led by Mary Knapp at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This mega-constellation low-frequency radio telescope uses thousands of autonomous SmallSats to measure magnetic fields emitted from exoplanets and the cosmic dark ages.
Another project is the Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator, which is exploring new in-space power sources with the potential for higher efficiencies than NASA’s current power generators. This technology could enable small exploration and science spacecraft in the future that are unable to carry bulky solar or nuclear power systems. The study is being led by Stephen Polly at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.
NASA is also developing a lunar railway system called Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) to provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon. This rail system could support daily operations of a sustainable lunar base as soon as the 2030s. Ethan Schaler leads FLOAT at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
In addition to these projects, NASA is also working on ScienceCraft for Outer Planet Exploration, which aims to distribute Quantum Dot-based sensors across the surface of a solar sail to create an innovative imager. By leveraging quantum physics to take scientific measurements through light absorption, this technology allows for lighter and more cost-effective spacecraft to carry imagers across the solar system. NASA’s Mahmooda Sultana leads ScienceCraft at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Finally, NASA’s NIAC program is responsible for developing new cross-cutting technologies and capabilities that will enable current and future missions. To learn more about NIAC and its 2024 Phase II studies, visit:
