Shapeshifter UAV Among NASA NIAC Phase One Concepts Written 4 April 2018

SPACE reports that a “flying, amphibious robot” called Shapeshifter designed to “cruise through Titan’s atmosphere, go spelunking in caves or dive into the moon’s many seas” is among the 25 “early-stage technology proposals selected in the 2018 round of NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 1 concepts.” Other concepts proposed include “space telescope swarms and meteoroid impact detection” systems. At the end of the first phase, teams may apply for Phase 2 awards valued at up to $500,000 for two years of study. According to NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Acting Associate Administrator Jim Reuter, NIAC “gives NASA the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America’s innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey.”
More Info (SPACE)