The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) is a NASA program for development of far reaching, long term advanced concepts by "creating breakthroughs, radically better or entirely new aerospace concepts". The program operated under the name NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts from 1998 until 2007 (managed by the Universities Space Research Association on behalf of NASA), and continued under the name NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts from 2011 to present. The NIAC program funds work on revolutionary aeronautics and space concepts that can dramatically impact how NASA develops and conducts its missions.
The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) was a NASA-funded program that was operated by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) for NASA from 1998 until its closure on 31 August 2007. NIAC was to serve as "an independent open forum, a high-level point of entry to NASA for an external community of innovators, and an external capability for analysis and definition of advanced aeronautics and space concepts to complement the advanced concept activities conducted within NASA." NIAC sought proposals for revolutionary aeronautics and space concepts that could dramatically impact how NASA developed and conducted its missions. It provided a highly visible, recognizable, and high-level entry point for outside thinkers and researchers. NIAC encouraged proposers to think decades into the future in pursuit of concepts that would "leapfrog" the evolution of contemporary aerospace systems. While NIAC sought advanced concept proposals that stretch the imagination, these concepts were expected to be based on sound scientific principles and attainable within a 10 to 40-year time frame. From February 1998 to 2007, NIAC received a total of 1,309 proposals and awarded 126 Phase I grants and 42 Phase II contracts for a total value of $27.3 million.
NASA announced on March 1, 2011 that the NIAC concept would be re-established at NASA with similar goals, maintaining the acronym NIAC.
Studies funded by the original NIAC 1998–2007 include
Bio-Nano-Machines for Space Applications - Constantinos MavroidisSystem Feasibility Demonstrations of Caves and Subsurface Constructs for Mars Habitation and Scientific Exploration (Caves of Mars Project) - Penelope J. BostonLunar space elevator - Jerome Pearson - final report.pdfMagnetic sail - Robert ZubrinMars Entomopter - Anthony Colozza / Robert Michelson - Phase II final report.pdfMini-magnetospheric plasma propulsion - Robert M. WingleeMomentum exchange tether - Thomas J. Bogar - final report.pdfNew Worlds Mission - Webster CashSpace elevator - Bradley C. EdwardsOn July 2, 2007, NIAC announced that "NASA, faced with the constraints of achieving the Vision for Space Exploration, has made the difficult decision to terminate NIAC, which has been funded by NASA since inception. Effective August 31, 2007, the original NIAC organization ceased operations.
Following the termination of the original NIAC program, Congress requested a review of the NIAC program by the United States National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences. The review was done in 2009, and concluded that in order to achieve its mission, NASA needs "a mechanism to investigate visionary, far-reaching advanced concepts," and recommended that NIAC, or a NIAC-like program, should be reestablished. Consistent with this recommendation, it was announced on March 1, 2011 that the NIAC was to be revived with similar goals leading to the establishment in 2011 of a project within the NASA Office of Chief Technologist, the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts, maintaining the acronym NIAC. It is now part of the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
According to Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program, "Through the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, NASA is taking the long-term view of technological investment and the advancement that is essential for accomplishing our missions. We are inventing the ways in which next-generation aircraft and spacecraft will change the world and inspiring Americans to take bold steps."
The revived NIAC, with the slightly-changed name "NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts," funded thirty phase-I studies in 2011 to investigate advanced concepts.
Duda, Kevin: Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit (V2Suit) for Space Habitation and ExplorationFerguson, Scott: Enabling All-Access Mobility for Planetary Exploration Vehicles via Transformative ReconfigurationGilland, James: The Potential for Ambient Plasma Wave PropulsionGregory, Daniel: Space Debris Elimination (SpaDE)Hogue, Michael: Regolith Derived Heat Shield for a Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ FabricationHohman, Kurt: Atmospheric Breathing Electric Thruster for Planetary ExplorationHowe, Steven: Economical Radioisotope PowerKhoshnevis, Behrokh: Contour Crafting Simulation Plan for Lunar Settlement Infrastructure Build-UpKwiat, Paul: Entanglement-assisted Communication System for NASA's Deep-Space Missions: Feasibility Test and Conceptual DesignMankins, John: SPS-ALPHA: The First Practical Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large PHased ArrayMiller, David: High-temperature Superconductors as Electromagnetic Deployment and Support Structures in SpacecraftPaul, Michael: Non-Radioisotope Power Systems For Sunless Solar System Exploration MissionsPavone, Marco: Spacecraft/Rover Hybrids for the Exploration of Small Solar System BodiesRitter, Joe: Ultra-Light "Photonic Muscle" Space StructuresScott, Gregory: Low Power Microrobotics Utilizing Biologically Inspired Energy GenerationShort, Kendra: Printable SpacecraftSibille, Laurent: In-Space Propulsion Engine Architecture based on Sublimation of Planetary Resources: from exploration robots to NEO mitigationSilvera, Isaac: Metallic Hydrogen: A Game Changing Rocket PropellantSlough, John: Nuclear Propulsion through Direct Conversion of Fusion EnergyStaehle, Robert: Interplanetary CubeSats: Opening the Solar System to a Broad Community at Lower CostStrekalov, Dmitry: Ghost Imaging of Space ObjectsStysley, Paul: Laser-Based Optical Trap for Remote Sampling of Interplanetary and Atmospheric Particulate MatterSwartzlander, Grover: Steering of Solar Sails Using Optical Lift ForceTarditi, Alfonso: Aneutronic Fusion Spacecraft ArchitectureThibeault, Sheila: Radiation Shielding Materials Containing Hydrogen, Boron, and Nitrogen: Systematic Computational and Experimental StudyTripathi, Ram: Meeting the Grand Challenge of Protecting Astronaut's Health: Electrostatic Active Space Radiation Shielding for Deep Space MissionsWerka, Robert: Proposal for a Concept Assessment of a Fission Fragment Rocket Engine (FFRE) Propelled SpacecraftWestover, Shayne: Radiation Protection and Architecture Utilizing High Temperature Superconducting MagnetsWhittaker, William: Technologies Enabling Exploration of Skylights, Lava Tubes and CavesWie, Bong: Optimal Dispersion of Near-Earth ObjectsIn August 2012, NIAC announced selection of 18 new phase-I proposals, along with Phase-II grants for continuation of 10 projects selected in earlier solicitations. These include many projects ranging from Landsailing rovers on Venus to schemes to explore under the ice of Europa. Phase I projects selected were:
Agogino, Adrian: Super Ball Bot - Structures for Planetary Landing and ExplorationArrieta, Juan: The Regolith Biters: A Divide-And-Conquer Architecture for Sample-Return MissionsCohen, Marc: Robotic Asteroid Prospector (RAP) Staged from L-1: Start of the Deep Space EconomyDitto, Thomas: HOMES - Holographic Optical Method for Exoplanet SpectroscopyFlynn, Michael: Water Walls: Highly Reliable and Massively Redundant Life Support ArchitectureGellett, Wayne: Solid State Air Purification SystemHoyt, Robert: NanoTHOR: Low-Cost Launch of Nanosatellites to Deep SpaceHoyt, Robert: SpiderFab: Process for On-Orbit Construction of Kilometer-Scale AperturesKirtley, David: A Plasma Aerocapture and Entry System for Manned Missions and Planetary Deep Space OrbitersLandis, Geoffrey: Venus Landsailing RoverLantoine, Gregory: MAGNETOUR: Surfing Planetary Systems on Electromagnetic and Multi-Body Gravity FieldsMcCue, Leigh: Exploration of Under-Ice Regions with Ocean Profiling Agents (EUROPA)Nosanov, Jeffrey: Solar System Escape Architecture for Revolutionary Science (SSEARS)Predina, Joseph: NIST in Space: Better Remote Sensors for Better ScienceQuadrelli, Marco: Orbiting Rainbows: Optical Manipulation of Aerosols and the Beginnings of Future Space ConstructionSaif, Babak: Atom Interferometry for detection of Gravity Waves-aWinglee, Robert: Sample Return Systems for Extreme EnvironmentsZha, GeCheng: Silent and Efficient Supersonic Bi-Directional Flying WingIn 2013 NIAC conducted a third solicitation for proposals, with projects to start in the summer of 2013. NASA selected 12 phase-I projects with a wide range of imaginative concepts, including 3-D printing of biomaterials, such as arrays of cells; using galactic rays to map the insides of asteroids; and an "eternal flight" platform that could hover in Earth's atmosphere, potentially providing better imaging, Wi-Fi, power generation, and other applications. They selected 6 phase II projects, including photonic laser thrusters, extreme sample return, and innovative spherical robots designed for planetary exploration.
Phase I selections were:
Adams, Rob: Pulsed Fission-Fusion (PuFF) Propulsion SystemBradford, John: Torpor Inducing Transfer Habitat For Human Stasis To MarsHemmati, Hamid: Two-Dimensional Planetary Surface LandersJerred, Nathan: Dual-mode Propulsion System Enabling CubeSat Exploration of the Solar SystemLongman, Anthony: Growth Adapted Tensegrity Structures - A New Calculus for the Space EconomyMoore, Mark: Eternal Flight as the Solution for 'X'Prettyman, Thomas: Deep Mapping of Small Solar System Bodies with Galactic Cosmic Ray Secondary Particle ShowersRothschild, Lynn: Biomaterials out of thin air: in situ, on-demand printing of advanced biocompositesRovey, Joshua: Plasmonic Force Propulsion Revolutionizes Nano/PicoSatellite CapabilityStoica, Adrian: Transformers For Extreme EnvironmentsIn 2013, NIAC conducted a fourth solicitation, and selected 12 projects for Phase-1 studies and 5 projects to continue on to phase II projects. Projects selected include a study of hibernation for astronauts and a submarine operating on Saturn's moon Titan
2014 Phase I selections were:
Atchison, Justine: Swarm Flyby GravimetryBoland, Eugene: Mars Ecopoiesis Test BedCash, Webster: The Aragoscope: Ultra-High Resolution Optics at Low CostChen, Bin: 3D Photocatalytic Air Processor for Dramatic Reduction of Life Support Mass & ComplexityHoyt, Robert: WRANGLER: Capture and De-Spin of Asteroids and Space DebrisMatthies, Larry: Titan Aerial DaughtercraftMiller, Timothy: Using the Hottest Particles in the Universe to Probe Icy Solar System WorldsNosanov, Jeffrey: PERISCOPE: PERIapsis Subsurface Cave OPtical ExplorerOleson, Steven: Titan Submarine: Exploring the Depths of KrakenOno, Masahiro: Comet Hitchhiker: Harvesting Kinetic Energy from Small Bodies to Enable Fast and Low-Cost Deep Space ExplorationStreetman, Brett: Exploration Architecture with Quantum Inertial Gravimetry and In Situ ChipSat SensorsWiegmann, Bruce: Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS)The 2015 Phase-1 projects included a hopping vehicle to visit Triton and others, and seven phase two projects. Phase I projects selected were:
Engblom, William: Virtual Flight Demonstration of Stratospheric Dual-Aircraft PlatformGraf, John: Thirsty Walls - A new paradigm for air revitalization in life supportHecht, Michael: A Tall Ship and a Star to Steer Her ByLewis, John: In-Space Manufacture of Storable PropellantsLubin, Philip: Directed Energy Propulsion for Interstellar Exploration (DEEP-IN)Oleson, Steven: Triton Hopper: Exploring Neptune's Captured Kuiper Belt ObjectPeck, Mason: Soft-Robotic Rover with Electrodynamic Power ScavengingPlescia, Jeffrey: Seismic Exploration of Small BodiesPaxton, Larry: CRICKET: Cryogenic Reservoir Inventory by Cost-Effective Kinetically Enhanced TechnologySercel, Joel: APIS (Asteroid Provided In-Situ Supplies): 100MT Of Water from a Single Falcon 9Stoica, Adrian WindBots: persistent in-situ science explorers for gas giantsTabirian, Nelson: Thin-Film Broadband Large Area Imaging SystemUlmer, Melville: Aperture: A Precise Extremely large Reflective Telescope Using Re-configurable ElementsWang, Joseph: CubeSat with Nanostructured Sensing Instrumentation for Planetary ExplorationYoungquist, Robert: Cryogenic Selective SurfacesIn addition, seven projects were selected for continuation into Phase II:
Atchison, Justin: Swarm Flyby GravimetryChen, Bin: 3D Photocatalytic Air Processor for Dramatic Reduction of Life Support Mass and ComplexityNosanov, Jeffrey: PERISCOPE: PERIapsis Subsurface Cave Optical ExplorerOleson, Steven: Titan Submarine: Exploring the Depths of Kraken MarePaul, Michael: SCEPS in Space - Non-Radioisotope Power Systems for Sunless Solar System Exploration MissionsStoica, Adrian: Trans-Formers for Lunar Extreme Environments: Ensuring Long-Term Operations in Regions of Darkness and Low TemperaturesWiegmann, Bruce: Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS)