5th Annual Meeting November 5-6, 2003
Welcome to NIAC’s 5th Annual Meeting “Creativity and imagination are not luxuries, but necessities”.
NIAC’s Focus: Revolutionary concepts for systems and architectures that can have a major impact on future missions of NASA, 10 to 40 years •Focus on Revolutionary Advanced Concepts for Architectures and Systems into the future
NIAC’s Method: Provide a pathway for innovators with the ability for non-linear creativity to explore revolutionary solutions to the grand challenges of future aerospace endeavors.
What is Revolutionary? • The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Darwin’s origin of species Galileo Kepler …………
What is Revolutionary?
• The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
• The new idea illuminates a pathway towards a significant expansion of knowledge A sense of malfunction can lead to crisis as a prerequisite to revolution. May be the basis for a new tradition of normal science New paradigms seem revolutionary only to those whose paradigms are affected by them.
What is Revolutionary?
• The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
• The new idea illuminates a pathway towards a significant expansion of knowledge • It inspires others to produce useful science and further elaboration of the fundamental idea Imagination and visualization are, generally, the first step in learning, or creating, something radically new. Revolutionary art and visionary physics are both investigations in the nature of reality.
What is Revolutionary?
• The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
• The new idea illuminates a pathway towards a significant expansion of knowledge • It inspires others to produce useful science and further elaboration of the fundamental idea • It contributes to a major change in the framework of aerospace possibilities Scientific research is an art form in this sense: it does not matter how you make your discovery, only that your claim is true and convincingly validated -- Edward O. Wilson
What is Revolutionary?
• The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
• The new idea illuminates a pathway towards a significant expansion of knowledge • It inspires others to produce useful science and further elaboration of the fundamental idea • It contributes to a major change in the framework of aerospace possibilities • It triggers a transformation of intuition Theories help to put observations into context and to create a framework for further understanding Scientific theories are the product of informed imagination
What is Revolutionary? • The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
• The new idea illuminates a pathway towards a significant expansion of knowledge • It inspires others to produce useful science and further elaboration of the fundamental idea • It contributes to a major change in the framework of aerospace possibilities • It triggers a transformation of intuition • Revolutionary paradigm shifts are often simple, elegant, majestic, beautiful and are characterized by order and symmetry Creative paradigm changes are often the result of a non-linear, orthogonal imagination Symmetry and order can be visually pleasing Non-symmetry may be richer, more diverse and less boring
What is Revolutionary? Don't let your preoccupation with reality stifle your imagination. Robert A. Cassanova and Sharon M. Garrison
• The genius is in the generalities, and not the details
• The new idea illuminates a pathway towards a significant expansion of knowledge • It inspires others to produce useful science and further elaboration of the fundamental idea • It contributes to a major change in the framework of aerospace possibilities • It triggers a transformation of intuition • Revolutionary paradigm shifts are often simple, elegant, majestic, beautiful and are characterized by order and symmetry There is a subtle yet significant difference between a creative and credible imaginative concept, and an imaginary pursuit. Robert A. Cassanova, Ron Turner, Pat Russell
Eternal Visions A pathway to a revolutionary framework of aerospace possibilities
Eternal Visions • Perturb the chaos and cause patterns to emerge • Light the darkness and ignite our passion for knowledge • Inspire our imagination and energize our creative spirit • Give us hope for a future without limits Robert A. Cassanova
“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible” Thoughts on Various Subjects
Jonathan Swift
Transition of NIAC Funded Concepts into NASA Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion System Robert Winglee
The Space Elevator Bradley Edwards
Rotating Momentum Exchange Tethers Robert Hoyt
Super-pressure Balloon ~40-50 m diameter 35-45 km Flight Altitude
Gondola
10-15 km
Entomopter Anthony Colozza Robert Michelson
Global Constellation of X-Ray Interferometer Stratospheric Webster Cash Scientific Platforms Kerry Nock
Balloon Trajectory Control System
Rel. Wind 0.3-2.0 m/s
Possible Science Sensors
Rel. Wind 5-10 m/s
Fellows of the Institute • Phase I awards of approximately $50,000 to $75,000 will be granted for six months to validate the viability of the proposed concept and define major feasibility issues • Phase II awards up to $400,000 will be granted for 18 to 24 months
Proposals received to date 716 Awards to date 118
CP 02-02 Phase I Awards Architecture for Unmanned Self-Replicating Lunar Factories Gregory Chirikjian Johns Hopkins University Microbots for Large-Scale Planetary Surface and Subsurface Exploration Steven Dubowsky, MIT Karl Iagnemma, MIT Penelope Boston, New Mexico Tech General Plasma Technologies LLC Optimal Navigation in a Plasma Medium Nathaniel Fisch General Plasma Technologies LLC Micro Asteroid Prospector Powered by Energetic Radioisotopes: MAPPER Steven Howe and Gerald Jackson Hbar Technologies
CP 02-02 Phase I Awards Modular Laser Launch Architecture: Analysis and Beam Module Design Jordin Kare Kare Technical Consulting The League of Extraordinary Machines: A Rapid and Scalable Approach to Planetary Defense Against Asteroid Impactors John Olds, A. C. Charania and Matthew Graham SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. The Plasma Magnet John Slough MSNW Robotic Lunar Ecopoiesis Paul Todd, Space Hardware Optimization Technology (SHOT), Inc. Penelope Boston, Complex Systems Research, Inc.
CP 02-02 Phase I Awards
Modeling Kinematic Cellular Automata: An Approach to SelfReplication Tihamer Toth-Fejel General Dynamics Self Assembly of Optical Structures in Space M. P. Ulmer and G. C. Schatz Northwestern University High Resolution Structureless Telescope James Wertz Microcosm, Inc.
Inspiring Our Nations Youth NIAC Student Visions of the Future Program WHO:
Funded by USRA
University Undergraduate Students
WHAT: Opportunity to Submit Revolutionary Aerospace Concept Ideas HOW: • Three page descriptions of imaginative • Credible ideas for aerospace systems or architectures to be implemented 10-40 years endorsed by a faculty advisor • Compete for the opportunity to present a poster at the NIAC Annual Meeting to be held in Atlanta, Georgia on November 5-6, 2003 • All expenses will be paid for the student(s) and advisor (plus an award of $200) • 10 proposals received by September 15, 2003 • 3 concepts selected
Inspiring Our Nations Youth NIAC Student Visions of the Future Funded by USRA Program Students Selected - September 2003 “Daedalon: A Revolutionary Morphing Spacecraft Design for Planetary Exploration” Jarret M. Lafleur Georgia Institute of Technology
“Verde Base (A Lunar Greenhouse)” Kam Yee South Seattle Community College
“Biomining for In-Situ Resource Utilization” Darin Ragozzine: Harvard University
THEY ARE THE FUTURE!! IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES!!!
Keynote Speakers George Dyson
Brigadier General Simon “Pete” Worden
Gary L. Martin
George Dyson Writer, boat designer, and historian of technology
Brigadier General Simon “Pete� Worden Director of Development and Transformation, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
Gary L. Martin Space Architect NASA Headquarters