NASA announces 2026 Space Technology Research Grant recipients

• NASA has selected a new cohort of university students for the 2026 Space Technology Research Grants (NSTGRO), focusing on innovative solutions for long-term space exploration.
• The selected projects address critical areas including autonomous robotics, lunar resource utilization, navigation, and thermal management systems.

Key Research Areas

• Lunar Infrastructure & Resources: Research projects include plasma processing of lunar regolith, molten salt power for outposts, and autonomous surface construction planning.
• Autonomous Navigation & Robotics: Students are developing novel trajectory design methods, visual-inertial odometry for precision landing, and multi-agent coordination for cislunar missions.
• Advanced Materials & Propulsion: Studies cover origami-inspired architectures, radiation-resistant structural materials, high-speed propulsion modeling, and innovative cooling technologies.
• Communication & Power: New developments range from photonic optical communication readouts and thermophotovoltaics to compact nuclear reactor simulations and solid-state battery electrolytes.