Next-Gen Exploration Targets Beyond Outer Planets

NASA's future concepts, often funded through NIAC, include asteroid mining, deep space habitats, human missions to Mars, and exploring lunar lava tubes for long-term habitation.

Sources

• NASA just announced funding for 13 new "Innovative Advanced Concepts" under the NIAC program. They include a swarm of autonomous "gram-scale interstellar probes" designed to send back images of Proxima Centauri, and a sample return mission to Venus. : r/space - Reddit
• NIAC Funded Studies - NASA
• NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program - Sitara Project
• Launching 10000 tiny 'femtosats' to Saturn? NASA funds 18 futuristic spaceflight ideas
• About NIAC - NASA
• Apply to NIAC - NASA

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