NASA has funded a second phase of several key futuristic projects, including an on-demand space pharmacy as well as an asteroid defense system. These are just two of six total projects that have received additional funding, and could lead to some intriguing results down the line.
NASA announced the latest awardees of the NASA Innovative Concept Studies for Science (NIAC) this week, noting the six projects it would continue to funnel money into. The space pharmacy, as mentioned above, is an important part of NASA’s project list. NASA could rely on these developments in the near future.
This project builds on the successes of a Phase 1 NIAC project, which introduced Astropharmacy (which scientists refer to as a space pharmacy that is available 24/7 for astronauts). The project has already proven that it can create and purify certain elements.
Now the project aims to show that it is capable of creating and purifying acceptable amounts of any drugs astronauts might need when they travel in space. It’s an intriguing system that could help combat any diseases or illnesses that pop up during the exploration of the Moon and even Mars.
Alongside NASA’s space pharmacy project, scientists are working on a new type of asteroid defense system. NASA’s DART system has been proven to work and allows us to alter an asteroid’s orbit using momentum. New technology is currently being created to test asteroid-pulverization.
Another plan is in place to build an observatory capable of collecting data from deep space. This will give us a wider view of the universe. NASA is also funding the FarView Observatory, a lunar-based telescope on our Moon’s far side.
These projects will hopefully help push the future of space exploration to new levels. While the Artemis missions are already seeing huge success, having an on-demand space pharmacy that NASA can rely on will also help alleviate concerns of illnesses striking hard at astronauts on the Moon and even other planets down the line.
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