NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts

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NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) seeks proposals for revolutionary aeronautics and space concepts that could dramatically impact how NASA develops and conducts its missions. It provides a highly visible, recognizable, and high-level entry point for outside thinkers and researchers. NIAC encourages proposers to think decades into the future in pursuit of concepts that will "leapfrog" the evolution of current aerospace systems. While NIAC seeks advanced concept proposals that stretch the imagination, these concepts should be based on sound scientific principles and attainable within a 10 to 40-year time frame.

1 Studies Funded by NIAC include
2 Closing of the NIAC
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Studies Funded by NIAC include

Bio-Nano-Machines for Space Applications - Constantinos Mavroidis
System Feasibility Demonstrations of Caves and Subsurface Constructs for Mars Habitation and Scientific Exploration (Caves of Mars Project) - Penelope J. Boston
Lunar space elevator - Jerome Pearson final report.pdf
Magnetic sail - Robert Zubrin
Mini-magnetospheric plasma propulsion - Robert M Winglee
New Worlds Mission - Dr. Webster Cash
Space elevator - By Dr. Bradley C. Edwards
Mars Entomopter - Anthony Colozza

[edit] Closing of the NIAC

On 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 NIAC will cease operations.^[1]

”