National Aeronautics and Space Administration press releases

Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness

David SmithDuke University The increasing population of spacefaring vehicles and satellites motivates increasingly powerful technologies for space situational awareness (SSA). While the US space surveillance network (SSN) is able to monitor objects down to about four inches in size using, for example, the latest upgrade to the space fence, the associated requirements limit implementation to ground-based […]

Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes

Benjamin SchaferRarified Technologies, Inc. We propose a new approach to atmospheric sensing at 30-100 km altitudes using photophoretically levitating tracers. These lightweight structures harness sunlight to remain suspended for up to months at controlled altitudes and can be remotely tracked by satellite-based lidar or radar. Unlike natural aerosols, these tracers are designed to provide strong and […]

Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere

Michael RubensteinNorthwestern University, Chicago We propose a mission to use ~10,000 actively steerable femtosats to map the ring composition, atmospheric composition and density, and the magnetic field distribution of Saturn. Conducting in-situ surveys of Saturn’s rings with a single flagship mission, such as Cassini, would carry an unacceptably high risk of mission failure due to […]

PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling

Marco QuadrelliNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Humanity has never touched the particles of a planetary ring, but if we were able to get close enough and sample them, it will transform understanding of ring structure and origins for Saturn (dense), Uranus and Neptune (tenuous), rings of other objects such as Centaurs Chariklo and Chiron, and even early […]

ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental control

NASA announced a study on a Variable Thermal Conductivity Metamaterial (VTCM) designed to provide passive temperature regulation for small, autonomous lunar surveyors. The material uses shape memory alloy actuation to adjust thermal conductivity based on temperature, reducing the need for power-intensive heaters in extreme lunar environments.

Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions

NASA has selected a proposal to develop a plasmon-enhanced radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) generator, which aims to significantly increase the power density and efficiency of energy systems for long-duration space missions. The technology utilizes novel materials and photonic crystal couplers to improve thermal-to-electric conversion for use in lunar and interstellar exploration.

OBLIVION: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN

NASA has selected the OBLIVION Phase I study to assess the feasibility of using a novel intensity-only interferometer architecture to measure the photon rings of supermassive black holes at gigaparsec distances. The study will focus on mission architecture, requirements traceability, and high-fidelity simulations to determine if this technology can provide more precise black-hole mass determinations and test strong-field gravity.

Psyche Approaches Mars

NASA released a composite image showing the Psyche spacecraft's approach to Mars in May 2026, which was used for a gravity assist to adjust its trajectory toward the asteroid Psyche.

Grants

NASA has transitioned to a consolidated model for the award and administration of all agency grants and cooperative agreements through the National Space Systems Corporation (NSSC). This initiative aims to streamline processes, improve data quality, and provide economies of scale for grant management.

Establishing Crew Exposure Limits of Martian Dust

Background Human exploration of Mars will expose crews to a persistent, fine particulate environment whose physicochemical properties and health implications remain only partly understood. Because no samples of authentic Martian airborne dust have been returned to Earth, NASA must rely on lunar dust toxicology, Martian regolith simulants, and extensive rover/lander geochemical and mineralogical datasets to […]

A New Compact Instrument Enables High-Fidelity Measurements of Energetic Particles on CubeSats

A team of NASA-sponsored scientists and engineers has developed a novel approach to observing high-energy particles in the near-Earth space environment, incorporating miniaturized sensors into a compact, multi-view particle detection instrument unlike any before it. Built for NASA’s Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss (REAL) CubeSat mission, the innovative instrument (also called REAL) enables more complete measurements […]

Why Maine’s Sandy Shorelines Turn Jagged

Differences in the underlying bedrock and how rivers distribute sediment make the coastlines west of Portland look unlike those northeast of the city.