NASA is investing in promising new technologies that could help shape the future of space travel.
As part of the 2018 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) initiative, Phase I and Phase II innovations receive financial support from the Agency that is used to test their potential.
“The NIAC program gives NASA the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America’s innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey. The concepts can then be evaluated for potential inclusion into our early stage technology portfolio,” explained Jim Reuter, Acting Associate Administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
Phase 1 awards equate to $125,000 and nine months of support; while Phase II ideas, those that demonstrate value during Phase I, receive $500,000 and two-years of evaluation and support.
“Phase II studies are given to the most successful Phase I fellows, whose ideas have the best possibility of changing the possible. Their two-year timeframe and larger budget allow them to really get going on the business of creating the future,” added Jason Derleth, NIAC program executive.
Check out all 25 of the current Phase I and Phase II concepts on the NASA website.
