Buzz
Imagine telling someone 100 years ago that humanity would create a device capable of landing on Mars and transmitting images back to Earth. Most would have thought you were out of your mind. That’s the wonder of space exploration. It’s such an emerging field, with breakthroughs happening constantly, making it challenging to separate reality from fiction. All ideas related to space once seemed absurd. Some succeeded and no longer sound as wild, while others remain far-fetched.
10. The Squid Rover
Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, has long been considered a prime candidate for the possibility of alien life due to the strong likelihood of oceans beneath its icy surface. There has been a strong desire to send a mission to explore what Europa truly holds. A proposed collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Japanese and Russian space agencies to launch a mission to Europa in 2020 was scrapped due to NASA’s budget issues. At present, the ESA-led JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is set to launch in 2022, with the probe expected to arrive at Europa in 2030. When it does, it could be carrying a rather unusual rover.
The rover in question is a soft-robotic design equipped with electrodynamic power scavenging. Dubbed the squid rover, it takes inspiration from the structure of this cephalopod, featuring a unique architecture. Developed at Cornell University, the concept was approved by NASA for further research. This rover is part of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which, as it describes, ‘aims to turn science fiction into science fact.’
At this stage, the rover is still in the early phases of development. Its design would include tentacle-like appendages that capture local magnetic fields to generate energy, along with electroluminescent ‘skin’ that would light up the underwater environment.
9. Project HARP
Shifting from the realm of science fiction, we venture into the world of Looney Tunes. Or at least, that’s the initial impression one might get from Project HARP. Short for High-Altitude Research Project, this was a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the Canadian Department of National Defense, aimed at launching projectiles into space using a massive gun.
The project began in 1961, largely thanks to Canadian ballistics engineer Gerald Bull, who had conceived the idea a decade earlier while working on ICBM missiles at the Canadian Armaments and Research Development Establishment (CARDE). The project was based at an airport in Barbados, allowing projectiles to be launched over the Atlantic Ocean. Initially, a 20-meter-long (65 ft) gun was used, but it was quickly upgraded to 40 meters (130 ft). By 1962, the installation was ready, but the Cuban Missile Crisis delayed operations until the following year.
The initial results showed promise, leading to the creation of a second test site in Yuma, Arizona. In 1966, the gun successfully fired a 180-kilogram (400 lb) projectile at a velocity of 3,600 meters (12,000 ft) per second, reaching a record altitude of 180 kilometers (590,000 ft). Over time, however, support for the project waned, and funding was withdrawn. Ultimately, the Vietnam War and deteriorating relations between the USA and Canada led to the project's termination. The gun in Barbados remains standing to this day, a relic gazing out over the Caribbean Sea.
8. The Titan Submarine
Much like Europa, Saturn's moon Titan is considered a prime target for space exploration. With its surface covered in methane lakes and oceans, it presents an exciting mystery for us to investigate. In 2004, the Cassini spacecraft conducted a detailed survey of Titan, providing us with an accurate map of its terrain. The following year, the Huygens probe successfully landed on Titan and sent back the first images from its surface. The next logical step is to create a vehicle that can explore the depths of Titan’s waters, and for that, a space submarine is in the works.
The concept for the submarine was introduced by Dr. Ralph Lorenz at the Lunar and Planetary Science Convention and was subsequently approved by NASA. If the mission is greenlit, the submarine would journey to Kraken Mare, Titan’s largest sea. Externally, the drone would resemble a conventional submarine, but it would be equipped with a large antenna to transmit data back to Earth across a distance of over a billion miles. However, the extreme conditions on Titan pose unique challenges. For one, the temperatures on the moon can plummet to –180 degrees Celsius (–290 °F).
In addition to the cold, we also have no knowledge of the depths the submarine will face. The sea's depth and composition will make traditional design features, like ballast tanks, unfeasible. To overcome these challenges, the submarine will require a specialized delivery system, utilizing a version of the military’s X-37B mini shuttle, which is designed to accommodate the size and shape needed for this mission.
7. Project Horizon
The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union sparked the most prolific period of space exploration. However, this was an entirely new frontier, still in its infancy, requiring much trial and error to determine what strategies worked and what didn’t. Before the Apollo program succeeded in landing a man on the Moon in 1969, many other ambitious plans were conceived and later abandoned.
Project Horizon is a recently declassified proposal from the US Army to establish a military base on the Moon. Though it might seem exceedingly ambitious even by today's standards, the plan was conceived in 1959. The Army believed it was possible to build the base and staff it with both soldiers and astronauts within the next ten years.
Perhaps this was overly optimistic on the Army’s part, or it might simply reflect the intense drive of both nations during the Cold War to secure the upper hand. The report emphasized the importance of establishing a military foothold on the Moon, as it was seen as inevitable that the Soviets would eventually pursue a similar mission.
The project never advanced beyond the conceptual stage. Had it been carried out, it would have required nearly 150 Saturn rockets to transport the needed equipment. Once completed, the base would have housed between 10 and 20 people. In the interim, astronauts could have utilized natural “cavities” on the Moon, which could be sealed with pressure bags to form livable spaces.
6. The Wrangler
The universe is filled with dangers. A multitude of catastrophic events could extinguish life on Earth with little effort: gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, colliding galaxies, and more. Moreover, Earth has already faced such a threat in the past—asteroid impacts. Over its 4.5 billion-year history, Earth has been struck by asteroids, and it’s probable that it will be hit again in the future. Whether this happens tomorrow (it won’t) or in a billion years, NASA is already working on potential solutions to address this issue.
One such solution is the Weightless Rendezvous And Net Grapple to Limit Excess Rotation (WRANGLER) system, developed by Tethers Unlimited, Inc. This net and tether system could be deployed from a satellite to capture and reduce the spin of an asteroid, neutralizing the threat. The program has been accepted into NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program and is being developed as a simpler, more cost-effective alternative to NASA’s own Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM).
The system is composed of two main components: the GRASP net capture device and the SpinCASTER tether/winch mechanism. By utilizing the leverage of a tether, a small satellite can reduce the angular momentum of a much larger object. The WRANGLER has already been proven successful in a microenvironment and is currently being scaled up to full size.
5. Zvezda Moon Base
The Americans weren’t the only ones eager to establish a manned base on the Moon. The Soviets had the same ambition. Their lunar program began covertly with two main objectives: first, to complete a manned lunar flyby, and second, to land cosmonauts on the Moon. However, the US beat them to both milestones, leading to the cancellation of the Soviet projects, which remained hidden until the 1990s.
The next plan involved building a permanent base on the Moon, known as Zvezda (meaning 'star' in Russian) or the DLB Lunar Base. Initiated in 1962 and led by Soviet space engineer Sergei Korolev, the base was envisioned to consist of nine separate modules, each with a distinct purpose: living quarters, dining areas, medical facilities, and laboratories. Together, these modules would weigh 18 tons, requiring separate deliveries. Additionally, cosmonauts would have been able to use Lunokhod robotic rovers to assist with mobility on the lunar surface.
The project gained significant attention and funding following 1969, fueled by the Americans' achievements in space exploration. However, its success was heavily dependent on the N1 rocket, which was the Soviet equivalent of the Saturn V rocket, designed to deliver heavy payloads beyond low-Earth orbit. When the N1 failed to perform as expected, both the rocket and all the associated projects were scrapped.
4. The Stanford Torus
The International Space Station has hosted inhabitants for nearly 15 years. Similarly, Mir operated from 1986 until 2001. Despite their impressive size, these space stations are not built to accommodate large populations. Mir's crew consisted of just three people, while the ISS can support six residents, though only three are aboard at the moment. The Stanford Torus, however, was a much bolder concept, designed to house 10,000 people in a space habitat.
The concept for this design emerged in 1975 as part of a summer study conducted by NASA and Stanford University. The design featured a torus, a donut-shaped ring, measuring 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) in diameter. It was engineered to rotate once every minute, simulating Earth’s gravity by creating centrifugal force.
The Stanford Torus never went beyond the conceptual phase. The plan for its construction called for 10 million tons of materials, most of which would be sourced from the Moon and asteroids. Only materials that could not be obtained from these sources would be brought from Earth. The space station was intended to be positioned at the Earth-Moon L5 Lagrangian point, a location where gravity from both bodies would stabilize smaller objects, allowing them to remain in a fixed position.
3. Project Orion
Space travel demands vast amounts of resources, which drives the search for more efficient energy sources. In the 1950s, the atomic bomb was considered the most powerful energy source. There was an ongoing effort to find less destructive ways of harnessing its immense power. Could this energy be used to power a spacecraft?
The concept of nuclear pulse propulsion was introduced by physicists Ted Taylor and Freeman Dyson. Their project, called Project Orion, aimed to propel a spacecraft using a series of atomic bomb detonations behind it. This nuclear drive idea wasn’t entirely new, as it had been previously explored by Stanislaw Ulam, a Polish-American mathematician who contributed to the Manhattan Project.
Work on Project Orion began in 1958. At that time, NASA had not yet been established, so the project was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) under the Department of Defense, which had a limited interest in the project. When NASA was created, it and the Air Force divided ARPA’s initiatives, leaving Orion behind, as nobody saw it as valuable. It wasn’t until years later that NASA became involved, but by then, the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty on nuclear weapons made it unfeasible due to the potential nuclear fallout from such detonations.
2. Venus Landsailing Rover
Venus is an extremely hostile environment. With surface temperatures soaring to 450 degrees Celsius (840 °F) and a highly corrosive atmosphere, exploring this neighboring planet has been a major challenge. So far, the best achievement was landing a stationary rover that lasted just two hours on Venus. In comparison, rovers on Mars have been operational for years, making Venus exploration one of our most ambitious goals despite its proximity.
A new approach has emerged, thanks to the NASA Glenn Research Center—the Venus Landsailing Rover, named Zephyr. This rover takes a simple yet innovative approach by using the power of the wind for propulsion, much like a traditional sail. While Venus doesn’t experience strong winds (only about 3 kilometers [2 miles] per hour), the planet’s atmospheric pressure ensures that even a light breeze can generate significant power.
The Zephyr will be constructed from materials designed to endure the extreme temperatures of Venus. It will remain mostly stationary, deploying its sail only when it needs to move to a new location. The flat, obstacle-free landscape of Venus will aid in this process. With such energy-efficient design, NASA predicts that Zephyr could survive for an entire month on the surface.
1. Printable Spacecraft
3-D printing is fast becoming a transformative technology, offering almost limitless potential. We're already capable of printing flexible electronics for everyday products like smartphones. These printed components are not only cost-effective and easier to produce but also lighter and more compact. One forward-thinking concept emerging from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) envisions a future where entire spacecraft could be 3-D printed.
The Printable Spacecraft is another project coming out of the NIAC, currently in its second phase. It has already met its initial goal, which was to determine whether it was feasible to print all the electronics needed for a functional spacecraft. Now in phase two, the project has new objectives, including printing a benchtop model spacecraft. NASA is also working to assess how practical it is to create a printed spacecraft for a single mission.
If successful, NASA believes that affordable, 3-D printed spacecraft could revolutionize space exploration. While a working prototype is expected to be about 10 years away, NASA imagines a future where astronauts could simply carry a printer and create whatever probes or crafts they need directly on-site.
