NASA · Space

NSTGRO 2026 Research Opportunities Announced

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate has announced its 2026 Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO), supporting innovative research across various space exploration domains.

The selected projects span a wide range of critical technologies, including advanced materials for space structures, intelligent multi-agent systems for cislunar operations, improved optical communication, and thermal management solutions for long-duration missions.

Research areas also encompass novel propulsion systems, robotic assembly and reconfiguration, in-situ resource utilization for lunar and planetary surfaces, and advanced navigation and control techniques for spacecraft and robotic teams.

Further topics include radiation effects on materials, advanced cooling systems for spacecraft components, and innovative methods for power generation and distribution in extraterrestrial environments.

The program also supports research into autonomous systems for docking, landing, and surface operations, as well as technologies for human space exploration, such as smart windows and resource separation.

Specific projects focus on areas like photonic SNSPD readout, magnetic heat switches, motion funnels for trajectory design, near-field thermophotovoltaics, and RF hydrogen plasma for regolith processing.

Other research includes plume-surface interaction modeling, molten salt powered lunar outposts, embedded normal form algorithms for navigation, and lifelong plan adaptation for robot manipulation.

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