When it comes to space technology, it may seem like nothing significant has happened since the moon landing four decades ago. But if you want to imagine how space exploration will develop in the coming decades, then you just need to pay attention to NASA's little-known program of innovative advanced concepts (NIAC). The specialists employed in it are studying the issue of financing advanced ideas, which, according to the US space agency, could open up new possibilities for exploring the solar system.
“The NIAC's mission is to give a chance to bold and unusual projects that are considered too risky,” says NIAC Program Manager Dr. Jay Katker. Since 2011, the program has allocated significant funds each year to projects that could lead to significant technological progress. There are very few restrictions. The funded ideas span many areas, from advanced robotic systems to the advanced engineering solutions needed to send humans to Mars. “We receive hundreds of applications every year, and each time there are amazing ideas that no one has thought of before,” says Volker.
We have selected 10 projects that have recently received the green light in the form of NIAC grants. It may be many years before they show themselves in space, but they are still worth getting to know. They are presented in ascending order of our ratings …
Spring loaded rover
Rockets, parachutes, and air cushions made it possible for several rovers to land on Mars. But the next generation of planetary scout robots could be done using a completely different technology. Dr. Vytas SunSpiral and colleagues from NASA are considering sending a robot to Saturn's moon Titan, which will consist entirely of rods held together by stretched cables. Such a “tense” structure, equipped with scientific equipment, does not require a parachute or airbag. “The structure itself is flexible enough to absorb impact energy during landing and to protect the payload,” explains Sunspiral. And it also provides mobility. “After landing, by shortening and lengthening the cables, she can roll around exploring the planet.
Hibernating astronauts
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The idea of hibernating astronauts during extended interplanetary missions has been continually exploited in science fiction. From 2001 Space Odyssey to Avatar, sophisticated life support systems are becoming a visible image of the highly advanced space technologies of the future. But even now, when Mars is considered as the place of future pioneer activities, some are already working on using the sci-fi idea of hibernation in reality. Dr. John E Bradford, President of US company SpaceWorks Engineering, which has received funding to research this promising technology, explains: “In short, we want to put the crew sent to Mars into deep sleep for a period of six to nine months - that is how long the flight between Earth and Mars lasts."
The "deep sleep" technique that the SpaceWorks team is researching is known as hypothermic therapy. “It is regularly used to treat severe injuries,” says Bradford. "To induce this state of hibernation, it is necessary to lower the core body temperature by 3-5 ° C and introduce a gentle sedative." This is very different from the process of freezing astronauts, which is shown in movies, Bradford emphasizes. “We are not engaged in cryopreservation and are not trying to stop all molecular processes. Our goal is to be able to keep the crew inactive in a confined space during a certain part of the mission."
To keep the astronauts alive, the team is studying the medical applications of this technology. “Patients are fed and watered intravenously using aqueous solutions. This method is called all-parenteral nutrition and is regularly used to sustain human existence over long periods of time in the treatment of cancer patients,”says Bradford.
There are a number of advantages to keeping the crew asleep during an extended space journey, Bradford says: “If the crew is in this state, the volume of living space can be significantly reduced. This ultimately reduces the total mass of the spacecraft being launched. The habitable space will be a very small module, designed for four or six crew members, each of which is in its own hibernation chamber. When the crew is awake, they need a space to live in which they can cook and eat, do hygiene and exercise, sleep, have fun and do research."
It can also be beneficial for the well-being of astronauts. “On an expedition to Mars, a small troupe of people will be confined in a very small space for extended periods of time under high stress and without the ability to interrupt the flight in case of problems,” explains Bradford. "Many difficulties are alleviated if the crew goes to bed during a period of increasing stress and, possibly, boredom."
Yet a lot of research is required to make this technology applicable in space. “Ultimately, I think this will become the main mode of interplanetary travel,” says Bradford. - Just imagine that you are going to sleep and wake up in 6 months already on Mars. Not so bad!"
Space 3-D printing
The first astronauts to explore Mars will face dangers. In addition to radiation in space and on the planet itself, they will have to live in a distant outpost without the possibility of operational supplies if necessary. If a vital part of the spacecraft breaks while on the surface, there will be no one to deliver a spare. The NIAC Thrifty Air Biomaterials project could be the solution. It explores how living cells can be used in combination with 3-D printing to create spacecraft parts, materials of construction, and possibly even human tissue.
Flat landing gear
It took years of planning and cutting-edge engineering to prepare the complex landing procedure for NASA's Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory in 2012. The success of the mission depended on the flawless operation of the landing systems. Today, Curiosity brings us unique images of one of the most scientifically interesting places on the Red Planet. But there is a much easier way to explore many more interesting corners of the solar system. The 2D Planetary Lander Project is exploring the technologies needed to create a variety of waffle-thick devices that can be scattered across a planet, satellite or asteroid. Each such device, only a few millimeters thick, will cover an area of about a square meter; it will carry a solar panel, communication electronics,as well as sensors for radiation, wind and temperature.
In addition, you can install subtle scientific instruments on it to study the immediate surroundings. Up to 50 such devices can be sent to the target in one flight. When multiple 2D reentry vehicles are launched, it may not be weight that will land successfully. This is acceptable, explains project leader Dr. Hamid Hemmati. “It also allows landing in high risk areas that are, however, of great geological interest.
Robbery raid apparatus
Rovers and orbiting spacecraft are good for exploring the solar system and delivering soil samples from distant worlds. Delivering samples to Earth, meanwhile, isn't easy. Even if it was possible to launch the probe without any problems, it has a long way to the goal, a risky landing, takeoff and return through the earth's atmosphere. Ask the NASA Genesis team what it feels like. The device successfully collected solar wind samples on a space route with a length of 32 million km, and at the end crashed into the earth's surface at a speed of 320 km / h in the Utah desert due to parachutes that did not open.
Now a group led by Professor Robert Wingley at the University of Washington in Seattle (USA) is exploring the possibility of using boarding techniques for sampling. The idea is that, flying past an asteroid or satellite, drop penetrators connected to the spacecraft with long filaments onto its surface. “For asteroids, you will need a filament only a few kilometers long and maybe tens of kilometers for satellites,” explains Wingley. Once the penetrators hit the surface, they pick up the substance into the capsule for returning samples. This capsule is then pulled by a string to the probe and sent back to Earth. "This technique will provide a huge leap forward in understanding the origin of the solar system," Wingley said.
Construction robots in orbit
Scientists have long been painting pictures of giant orbital structures and spaceships with huge solar panels floating in the solar system. It costs astronomical money to launch such colossal structures into space, and, as we saw with the ISS, most of the installation work requires the participation of astronauts.
Dr. Robert Hoyt and colleagues at Tethers Unlimited are currently exploring one way around these difficulties. The idea is to launch structures capable of self-assembly in orbit. The authors call it SpiderFab ("spider-fabricator"). “We are developing a process in which materials are launched into space in the form of reels or rolls of tape, and then these materials are processed to create the necessary structures,” explains Hoyt. By combining robotics with 3D printing technology, the group hopes to start with the simplest orbital designs and then move on to developing elements for next-generation spacecraft. "Manned flights within the solar system require huge structures to deploy solar array arrays, radiation shields and other critical components," Hoyt said."Being able to launch materials in a compact form, such as a coil of fiber or a container of polymer, will allow us to use rockets of smaller size and cost."
Sailing rover
Venus has a bad reputation, and deservedly so. Sulfuric acid rains, enormous atmospheric pressure and a hot surface with a temperature of about +460 ° C make it extremely inhospitable. The last place you want to send a self-propelled vehicle. However, planetary scientists are just about to do this and even want to equip it with a sail. Yes, by sail. As part of the NICA program, NASA scientists are investigating the possibility of sending a land-based sailing ship to a second planet from the Sun. The device could roll across the relatively flat lava plains of Venus in a light breeze, the developers say. If everything goes as it should, the Venus rover can work for about a month, they believe.
Sunlight reflectors
If we ever return to the moon, one of the places we are interested in is the area around Shackleton Crater. The inner part of the crater is constantly hidden in shadow, and its shaft is illuminated by the sun almost all the time. The soil inside could contain ice that would be needed for a future lunar base, and the shaft would be an ideal place to house solar panels. However, it will be difficult to explore the depths of Shackleton Crater and similar formations on other celestial bodies due to the darkness. The Transformers for Extreme Environments project proposes to change this with lightweight autonomous vehicles capable of reflecting sunlight down into the darkness. The origami-like design can be used to illuminate the bottom of a crater, to heat a surface area, and for communication.
Submarine robots
Hidden beneath the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is a vast ocean of liquid water. This is an astrobiologist's dream. What can be done to research it is currently being identified through an NIAC project led by Dr. Leigh McCue of Virginia Polytechnic University (USA).
According to the group's plan, three descent vehicles should be sent to the surface of Europa. Each of them will be equipped with a cryobot that will melt its way through the ice crust until it finds itself in the subglacial ocean. The three cryobots will then release gliders capable of moving through the water, exploring the ocean in detail. “The ocean of Europa is the most likely place in the solar system where extraterrestrial life could be found,” McKew said. - It inspires me very much; ice exploration in Europe could change the very way we think about life."