Future of space exploration

The TitanAir concept for exploring Saturn’s moon Titan. Illustration: Quinn MorleyThe future of space exploration requires big ideas, and NASA has no objection to considering some of the biggest ideas out there. The space agency’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program exists for this very purpose, and it has chosen the next crop of concepts worthy of an initial study.The latest round of NIAC grants were awarded to 14 research teams, each receiving $175,000 to further develop their concepts,NASA announced yesterday.…

An illustration of NASA’s Psyche spacecraft.Illustration: NASAA NASA mission to explore one of the most intriguing objects in the asteroid belt is getting a second chance. The Psyche mission is now targeting a launch period in 2023 after missing its initial window this year due to development delays.NASA decided to go ahead with its Psyche mission following an internal review of the issues that led to its delay, the space agency announced on Friday. The mission is now targeting a new launch window that opens on October…

Lunar Glass is the proposed project that will simulate gravity through centrifugal force. Gif: Kajima Corporation/GizmodoInterest in the Moon has been reignited recently, and Japan is looking to get in on the fun. Researchers and engineers from Kyoto University and the Kajima Corporation have released their joint proposal for a three-pronged approach to sustainable human life on the Moon and beyond.The future of space exploration will likely include longer stays in low gravity environments, whether in orbit or on the…