NASA has awarded $100,000 Phase 1 contracts for 13 selected proposals under its Innovative Advanced Concepts program that works to invest in the development of innovative aerospace technologies.
The selected Phase 1 projects seek to develop technology for future aerospace missions and address requirements for priority areas that aim to explore beyond low-Earth orbit, Mars and asteroids, NASA said Saturday.
“The latest NIAC selections include a number of concepts for planetary and robotic exploration,” said Steve Jurczyk, NASA space technology mission directorate associate administrator.
The nine-month Phase 1 contracts were awarded to:
- Javid Bayandor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Ratnakumar Bugga, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Jason Dunn, Made In Space
- Gary Hughes, California Polytechnic State University
- Siegfried Janson, The Aerospace Corporation
- Chris Mann, Nanohmics
- Robert Mueller, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
- Masahiro Ono, JPL
- Marco Quadrelli, JPL
- Lynn Rothschild, NASA’s Ames Research Center
- Jonathan Sauder, JPL
- Stephanie Thomas, Princeton Satellite Systems
- Michael VanWoerkom, ExoTerra Resource
Click here to view the details of the proposals selected to proceed to feasibility studies designed to support their submitted concepts.
The awardees can eventually apply for potential $500,000 Phase 2 awards to move forward to two years of concept development, NASA said.