NASA Funds Interstellar Probe and Space Habitats Made From Fungi
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Artist’s conception of a radio dish built inside the crater on the far side of the Moon.
Illustration: Vladimir Vustyansky
The latest round of NASA funding to boost the development of advanced concepts includes a space-based neutrino detector, an interstellar probe powered by solar sails, and a radio telescope built inside a crater on the far side of the Moon.
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NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is one of my favorite things in the world, as it offers a potential sneak peek into the future. Sure, not every proposal will get approved in the end, but some of these concepts might actually take flight. And for those ideas that die on the vine, at least they gave us a chance to dream of what might actually be possible.
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WASHINGTON, April 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ NASA encourages researchers to develop and study unexpected approaches for traveling through, understanding, and exploring space. To further these goals, the agency has selected seven studies for additional funding – totaling $5 million – from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. The researchers previously received at least one NIAC award related to their proposals. Creativity is key to future space exploration and fostering revolutionary ideas today that may sound outlandish will prepare us for new missions and fresh exploration approaches in the coming decades, said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).