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There are six projects with NASA which appear far from reality but the space agency hopes to achieve success in these projects somedayStory highlights
In hopes of turning science fiction into reality, NASA has been funding projects which seem far from reality, but if completed can take mankind's achievements in space to new heights.
Speaking about such ambitious projects, even the space agency's representative John Nelson calls them "science fiction-like concepts".
Although there is no guarantee of them materialising, projects like the lunar rail system may become part of an aerospace mission someday.
These 'ambitious' projects include a fluid-based telescope, a transit system to transfer humans and cargo to Mars and a lunar railway system.
These projects are part of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) programme that has been set aside to be funded for continuous research.
In all, there are six projects and each of them has completed the initial NIAC phase. Moving into Phase II, the conceptual studies will get more than $600,000 for continuing their research in the next two years.
These projects are still in the exploratory stage and there is no guarantee of success. However, the projects have been moving on the intended path for a future aerospace mission if they reach the final NIAC phase.
NIAC programme executive at NASA headquarters in Washington John Nelson said, "Our NIAC fellows never cease to amaze and inspire, and this class definitely gives NASA a lot to think about in terms of what's possible in the future."
To advance this space research, a fundamental requirement is ever-larger telescope development.
According to NASA's Edward Balaban, it does not appear economically viable to scale current space telescope technologies to aperture sizes beyond 10 metres.
"Thus, there is a need for cost-effective solutions to scale space telescopes to larger sizes," he said.
The FLUTE project gives a potential solution for creating space observatories which have a large aperture or unsegmented liquid primary mirrors.
Such liquid primary mirrors get formed in space with the use of fluidic shaping in microgravity, said Balaban.
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The scientists have already demonstrated this concept in laboratories amid neutral buoyancy environments, aboard the International Space Station and during parabolic microgravity flights.
Meanwhile, another project of NASA is the Pulsed Plasma Rocket entailing electric spacecraft propulsion. As of now, no technology allows the shifting of humans and cargo efficiently and rapidly through the vast distances of space.
(With inputs from agencies)
Prisha is a digital journalist at WION and she majorly covers international politics. She loves to dive into features and explore different cultures and histories
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