surf the solar system in the future will be real submarine and a bevy of inexpensive satellites. The NASA selected seven fantastic projects competing for expression in life.
Guide NASA announced the list of innovative projects, which are destined to change the face of future space missions and to implement new approaches to solving technical problems. These ideas were selected for the second phase of the program NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), which aims – to identify unusual, sometimes futuristic projects and to support their public funding.
During the first phase of the program contestants were required to demonstrate the feasibility of their ideas and the benefits that can bring these concepts in space. So it was selected 15 projects, some of which were scientifically practical, some – beyond fiction.
So, the idea to send to Jupiter’s moon Europa robot squid had to be abandoned as the proposal to melt asteroids with a laser beam.
Financing, which developers can get in the second phase, up to $ 500 thousand. for two years, and applicants are encouraged to optimize their decisions and apply new technologies. Each of the selected concepts in the early stage of development and requires a minimum of 10 years to bring to mind and applicability in real missions.
A flock of gravity satellites
Institute of Johns Hopkins proposed to investigate the distribution mass below the surface of small bodies of the solar system without sending them or orbital landers.
To do this, a passing comet or asteroid probe throws a whole flock of small devices.
By tracking the movement of each of them, scientists can estimate the internal structure of the body being studied and its density. This approach offers a simpler and cheaper equivalent of a long and pre-planned study of individual bodies by repeated their detour Orbiter.
photocatalytic oxygen generator
University of California at Santa Cruz suggested how to generate oxygen in space, using sunlight and without the use of heat or electricity. The oscillator circuit based on using the UV portion of the solar light and chemical reaction catalysts based on titanium oxide.
The proposed concept promises an order of magnitude greater productivity and efficiency in the generation of air Compared to existing installations.
Subsurface optical “podsmotrschik»
Company Nosanov Consulting Jeffrey Nosanova Maryland has proposed a draft device allowing to look in lunar craters and caves with low lunar orbit, not planting on Earth satellite.
For this low-flying unit irradiates the laser pulses of the lunar surface and captures the photons repeatedly reflected against interior of the Moon.
The processing of these signals in the world will create a more accurate map of the satellite of our planet.
Ice Boat for Titan
Research Center of the John Glenn offered to explore the Kraken Mare, the largest hydrocarbon lake on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, with a special submarine. During the second stage of the competition the authors ideas must work out aspects of the movement of the submarine in a hostile environment of Titan, the possibility of its delivery and its interaction with the orbiter.
Storage of chemical energy
University of Pennsylvania proposed the use of chemical energy storage devices that have long been used in marine torpedoes in space missions. The drive offered by developers, designed to work on Venus, it can be used both on the orbiter and the lander.
Lunar SLR Transformers
JPL NASA during the development of the Moon proposed use of robots -transformerov able to reflect sunlight to power the rovers exploring the surface of the unexposed areas.
To do this, left, for example, on the edge of the crater reflector tracks the path of the Lunokhod on the bottom of the crater, sending him the mirror reflected beam of light.
Sunny elektroparus
Marshall Space Center developed an analog of a solar sail consisting of a wire length of 20 km, revolving around the central staff of 500 kg. With the help of an electron gun for conducting extensions planned to maintain a high positive charge, which will interact with protons in the solar wind, faster away from the sun.
The main advantage of this method of movement – its speed. According to specialists, the mover is able to bring the spacecraft to the edge of the solar system in just 10 years. 
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