By 
January 11th, 2025
Artist concept highlighting the novel approach proposed by the 2025 NIAC awarded selection of Lunar Glass Structure (LUNGS): Enabling Construction of Monolithic Habitats in Low-Gravity Environmentlithic Habitats in Low-Gravity Environment. Image credit:
Martin Bermudez/Skyeports LLC/NASA
Want to build glasshouses on the Moon?
Consider this idea: a large-scale, monolithic lunar glass habitat in a low-gravity environment. This approach involves on-the-spot melting of lunar glass compounds to fabricate a large spherical shell structure.
The concept is considered a “significant departure” from current habitat construction methods.
This novel approach is just one of NASA’s just announced selections of 15 visionary ideas for the space agency’s NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.
Chosen from companies and institutions across the United States, the 2025 Phase I awardees represent a sweeping range of aerospace concepts.
Image credit: NIAC/NASA
Explains Clayton Turner, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) in Washington, D.C.: “From developing small robots that could swim through the oceans of other worlds to growing space habitats from fungi, this program continues to change the possible.”
Visionary ideas
And the awardees are:
1)
Phillip Ansell, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
Hydrogen Hybrid Power for Aviation Sustainable Systems (Hy2PASS)
2)
Ryan Benson, ThinkOrbital Inc., Boulder, Colorado
Construction Assembly Destination
3)
Martin Bermudez, Skyeports LLC, Sacramento, California
Lunar Glass Structure (LUNGS): Enabling Construction of Monolithic Habitats in Low-Gravity Environment
4)
Christine Gregg, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
Dynamically Stable Large Space Structures via Architected Metamaterials
5)
Gyulaz Greschik, Tentguild Engineering Company, Boulder, Colorado
The Ribbon: Structure Free Sail for Solar Polar Observation
Artist concept of Exploring Venus with Electrolysis (EVE)
Image credit: Michael Hecht/NASA
6)
Michael Hecht, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Exploring Venus with Electrolysis (EVE)
7)
Robert Hinshaw, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
MitoMars: Targeted Mitochondria Replacement Therapy to Boost Deep Space Endurance
8)
Ben Hockman, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
TOBIAS: Tethered Observatory for Balloon-based Imaging and Atmospheric Sampling
Artist concept highlighting Inflatable Starshade for Earthlike Exoplanets concept. Image credit: John Mather/NASA
9)
John Mather, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Inflatable Starshade for Earthlike Exoplanets
10)
Marco Quadrelli, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
PULSAR: Planetary pULSe-tAkeR
11)
Selim Shahriar, Northwestern University, Evanston, Evanston, Illinois
SUPREME-QG: Space-borne Ultra-Precise Measurement of the Equivalence Principle Signature of Quantum Gravity
12)
Saurabh Vilekar, Precision Combustion, North Haven, Connecticut
Thermo-Photo-Catalysis of Water for Crewed Mars Transit Spacecraft Oxygen Supply Precision Combustion
13)
Kimberly Weaver, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Beholding Black Hole Power with the Accretion Explorer Interferometer
14)
Ryan Weed,m Helicity Space LLC, Pasadena, California
Fusion-Enabled Comprehensive Exploration of the Heliosphere
Artist concept of LEAP – Legged Exploration Across the Plume.
Image credit: Justin Yim/NASA
15)
Justin Yim, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
LEAP – Legged Exploration Across the Plume
Bring concepts to life
These Phase 1 grants to the NIAC researchers, known as fellows, “will investigate the fundamental premise of their concepts, identify potential challenges, and look for opportunities to bring these concepts to life,” explains NIAC in a NASA statement.
For more information on these NIAC Phase 1 awards, go to:
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-awards-2025-innovative-technology-concept-studies/
Posted in Space News
