NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts

[1] It funds work on revolutionary aeronautics and space concepts that can dramatically impact how NASA develops and conducts its missions.

"[2] NIAC sought proposals for revolutionary aeronautics and space concepts to dramatically impact how NASA developed and conducted its missions.

[7] The review was done in 2009, and concluded that in order to achieve its mission, NASA needs "a mechanism to investigate visionary, far-reaching advanced concepts," and recommended that NIAC, or a NIAC-like program, should be reestablished.

[16] NASA selected 12 phase-I projects with a wide range of imaginative concepts, including 3-D printing of biomaterials, such as arrays of cells; using galactic rays to map the insides of asteroids; and an "eternal flight" platform that could hover in Earth's atmosphere, potentially providing better imaging, Wi-Fi, power generation, and other applications.

[17] They selected 6 phase II projects, including photonic laser thrusters, extreme sample return, and innovative spherical robots designed for planetary exploration.