[meteorite-list] NASA Invests in 22 Visionary Exploration Concepts

[Ron Baalke via Meteorite-list]

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6808

NASA Invests in 22 Visionary Exploration Concepts
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
April 7, 2017

A mechanical rover inspired by a Dutch artist. A weather balloon that 
recharges its batteries in the clouds of Venus.

These are just two of the five ideas that originated at NASA's Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and are advancing for a new round 
of research funded by the agency.

In total, the space agency is investing in 22 early-stage technology proposals 
that have the potential to transform future human and robotic exploration 
missions, introduce new exploration capabilities, and significantly improve 
current approaches to building and operating aerospace systems.

The 2017 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) portfolio of Phase I 
concepts covers a wide range of innovations selected for their potential 
to revolutionize future space exploration. Phase I awards are valued at 
approximately $125,000, for nine months, to support initial definition 
and analysis of their concepts. If these basic feasibility studies are 
successful, awardees can apply for Phase II awards.

"The NIAC program engages researchers and innovators in the scientific 
and engineering communities, including agency civil servants," said Steve 
Jurczyk, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission 
Directorate. 
"The program gives fellows the opportunity and funding to explore visionary 
aerospace concepts that we appraise and potentially fold into our early 
stage technology portfolio."

The selected 2017 Phase I proposals are:

* A Synthetic Biology Architecture to Detoxify and Enrich Mars Soil 
for Agriculture, Adam Arkin, University of California, Berkeley

â*A Breakthrough Propulsion Architecture for Interstellar Precursor 
Missions, John Brophy, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, 
California

* Evacuated Airship for Mars Missions, John-Paul Clarke, Georgia Institute 
of Technology in Atlanta

* Mach Effects for In Space Propulsion: Interstellar Mission, Heidi 
Fearn, Space Studies Institute in Mojave, California

* Pluto Hop, Skip, and Jump, Benjamin Goldman, Global Aerospace Corporation 
in Irwindale, California

* Turbolift, Jason Gruber, Innovative Medical Solutions Group in Tampa, 
Florida

* Phobos L1 Operational Tether Experiment, Kevin Kempton, NASA's Langley 
Research Center in Hampton, Virginia

* Gradient Field Imploding Liner Fusion Propulsion System, Michael LaPointe, 
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama

* Massively Expanded NEA Accessibility via Microwave-Sintered Aerobrakes, 
John Lewis, Deep Space Industries, Inc., in Moffett Field, California

* Dismantling Rubble Pile Asteroids with Area-of-Effect Soft-bots, Jay 
McMahon, University of Colorado, Boulder

* Continuous Electrode Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion, Raymond 
Sedwick, University of Maryland, College Park

* Sutter: Breakthrough Telescope Innovation for Asteroid Survey Missions 
to Start a Gold Rush in Space, Joel Sercel, TransAstra in Lake View Terrace, 
California

* Direct Multipixel Imaging and Spectroscopy of an Exoplanet with a 
Solar Gravity Lens Mission, Slava Turyshev, JPL

* Solar Surfing, Robert Youngquist, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

* A Direct Probe of Dark Energy Interactions with a Solar System Laboratory, 
Nan Yu, JPL

"The 2017 NIAC Phase I competition has resulted in an excellent set of 
studies. All of the final candidates were outstanding," said Jason Derleth, 
NIAC program executive. "We look forward to seeing how each new study 
will expand how we explore the universe."

Phase II studies allow awardees time to refine their designs and explore 
aspects of implementing the new technology. This year's Phase II portfolio 
addresses a range of leading-edge concepts, including: a Venus probe using 
in-situ power and propulsion to study the Venusian atmosphere, and novel 
orbital imaging data derived from stellar echo techniques -- measurement 
of the variation in a star's light caused by reflections off of distant 
worlds -- to detect exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system.

Awards under Phase II of the NIAC program can be worth as much as $500,000, 
for two-year studies, and allow proposers to further develop Phase I concepts 
that successfully demonstrated initial feasibility and benefit.

The selected 2017 Phase II proposals are:

* Venus Interior Probe Using In-situ Power and Propulsion, Ratnakumar 
Bugga, JPL

* Remote Laser Evaporative Molecular Absorption Spectroscopy Sensor 
System, Gary Hughes, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis 
Obispo

* Brane Craft Phase II, Siegfried Janson, The Aerospace Corporation 
in El Segundo, California

* Stellar Echo Imaging of Exoplanets, Chris Mann, Nanohmics, Inc., Austin, 
Texas

* Automaton Rover for Extreme Environments, Jonathan Sauder, JPL

* Optical Mining of Asteroids, Moons, and Planets to Enable Sustainable 

[meteorite-list] AD - EBAY: 50 high quality METEORITE THIN SECTIONS

[Peter Marmet via Meteorite-list]

Hello all,

just a quick note that I have 50(!) very nice, high quality meteorite thin 
sections on ebay, ending in about two days.

Most of the sections start at just $1.99, e.g. a stunning LUNAR thin section.

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If interested, please have a look:

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Cheers,
Peter

Peter Marmet - IMCA #2747
Bern, Switzerland
http://www.marmet-meteorites.com 
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Re: [meteorite-list] New find Phoenix

[Larry Atkins via Meteorite-list]

Hi Todd,

I'm here in the Phoenix area, I could take a look at it if you like.

Thanks,
Larry Atkind

Sent from AOL Mobile Mail

On Thursday, April 6, 2017 Todd Dziuk via Meteorite-list 
 wrote:
Found a 204 gram stoney specimen in the Phoenix area. I've tried to post pics, 
then links to pics to no avail. It's been a long time since I've been plugged 
into the meteorite community. I would like someone to at least have a look. 
Thanks. 
Todd Dziuk 
Phoenix, AZ

Sent from my iPhone
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[meteorite-list] new find- Phoenix

[printstodd--- via Meteorite-list]

Found this 204 gram specimen last Saturday.
https://scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17634375_1627245220637972_1277536653967456842_n.jpg?oh=f939ced1d4a403d446e9a870ad8141b1=595596C2




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[meteorite-list] Meteorite Picture of the Day

[Paul Swartz via Meteorite-list]

Today's Meteorite Picture of the Day: Gibeon

Contributed by: Geoff Notkin

http://www.tucsonmeteorites.com/mpodmain.asp?DD=04/07/2017
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