NASA has announced the selection of three projects under its NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program’s 2026 Phase I awards. These selections aim to foster early-stage studies of potentially groundbreaking technologies that could benefit future NASA missions.
Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, received a Phase I award for his project titled “Dimming the Sun (DimSun) Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation.” The project explores methods of reducing solar insolation using a controllable dust cloud. David Bugby, also from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, was selected for Phase I funding with his concept, “Combinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS).” This research focuses on developing architecture suitable for Venusian environments.
Additionally, Anish Damodaran of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL, secured a 2026 Phase I NIAC award for “PS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies.” The project aims to advance submillimeter space interferometry through the use of photonic technologies. These selections represent NASA’s commitment to supporting innovative and potentially transformative concepts in aerospace technology.
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