NASA Awards $3.2M to 18 Innovative Aerospace Concepts for 2026

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NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has announced 18 new Phase I awards totaling $3.2 million to fund forward-looking aerospace research. Each recipient will receive up to $175,000 to conduct a nine-month preliminary investigation into their proposed concept. The selected ideas span a broad range of aerospace applications, from solar system exploration to deepening our understanding of the universe. The awards are designed to nurture visionary early-stage technologies that could shape the future of space exploration.

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