Niac phase II seeks proposals that will continue the exploration and development of revolutionary advanced concepts started through a niac phase i award. While the phase i study establishes basic…

NASA's Shared Services Center awarded a $524,787.50 research grant to The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. (Draper) on July 1, 2025, to conduct a Phase II study under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. This grant extends research initiated through a prior Phase I award, with work to be performed at Draper's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and completion targeted for June 30, 2027. The Phase II study will advance the exploration and development of revolutionary aerospace concepts by addressing key technical unknowns, risks, and development pathways established during Phase I. The research will include detailed analysis of cost, performance metrics relative to alternatives, development schedules, and identification of enabling technologies necessary for potential future NASA mission consideration.

The award carries no set-aside designation and represents a continuation of Draper's substantial portfolio of advanced research grants with NASA and other federal agencies. Draper, a prominent non-profit research and development organization specializing in guidance, navigation, control systems, autonomous systems, and advanced engineering sciences, frequently collaborates with academic institutions on government-funded research initiatives. The Phase II study aims to provide a comprehensive technical and scientific foundation to support NASA's evaluation of the concept for subsequent development phases, building upon the basic feasibility and potential benefits demonstrated during the Phase I investigation.

Niac phase II seeks proposals that will continue the exploration and development of revolutionary advanced concepts started through a niac phase i award. While the phase i study establishes basic feasibility and clear potential benefit, the phase II study extends, refines, and builds upon this foundation. Phase II studies address key remaining unknowns, assumptions, risks, and paths forward. This should explicitly include cost, performance VS. Alternatives, development steps and associated schedule, and key enabling technologies. These results aim to provide a sound basis for NASA to consider the concept for further development and a future mission, substantiated with a description of applicable scientific and technical disciplines necessary for development.