NIAC 2026 Selections

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Loura Hall

Phase I

SaptarshiBandyopadhyay
Dimming the Sun (DimSun) Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA 91109-8001
2026 Phase I

David Bugby
Combinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS)
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA 91109-8001
2026 Phase I

AnishDamodaran
PS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL  32826-2933
2026 Phase I

ArturDavoyan
Coilable Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions
University of California
Los Angeles, CA 90024-0001
2026 Phase I

A.C. Charania
EARENDIL: Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes
Zeno Power Systems, Inc.
Washington, DC 20001-3701
2026 Phase I

DanielDrew
Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK)
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI 96822-2303
2026 Phase I

Gilly Elor
Power-over-Fiber to Enable a Lunar Underground eXplorer (LUX)
Stone Aerospace, Inc.
Del Valle, TX 78617-3017
2026 Phase I

ZhaoyanLiu
Quantum Wind Lidar Applications for Planetary and Earth Science Missions
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94034-0001
2026 Phase I

JeffNosanov
OBLIVIAN: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN
Orbital Velocity, LLC
Decatur, GA 30033-4151
2026 Phase I

KeunhanPark
Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions
University of Utah
Salt Lake City 84112-1109
2026 Phase I

AustinPhoenix
ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental Control
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State
University, Blacksburg, VA 24060-5605
2026 Phase I

MarcoQuadrelli
PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA 91109-8001
2026 Phase I

MichaelRubenstein
Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere
Northwestern University
Chicago Evanston, IL 60208-0001
2026 Phase I

BenjaminSchafer
Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes
University of California
Los Angeles, CA 90024-0001
2026 Phase I

David Smith
Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness
Duke University 
Durham, NC 27708-9976
2026 Phase I

Pablo Sobron Sanchez
Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys
SETI Institute
Mountain View, CA 94043-5203
2026 Phase I

PaulStankus
Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI for Exoplanet Imaging
Brookhaven Science Associates
Upton NY 11973-0001
2026 Phase I

PaulStankus
Precision Astrometry Using Optically Independent Spacecraft for Graviational Wave Detection
Brookhaven Science Associates
Upton, NY 11973-0001
2026 Phase I

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• NIAC Studies
• NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program
• Research and Technology Mission Directorate

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