The Advanced Concepts Laboratory (ACL) is situated under the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate.
ACL is a digital innovation studio that gives form to NASA spacecraft, missions, and technologies through conceptual design and visualization.
Many SACD projects are supported by the ACL, including HAVOC, PEGASUS, and the Space Launch System (SLS).
Interested in working with the ACL? Reach out to larc-dl-acl-tpoc@mail.nasa.gov.
Meet the ACL Team
Engineering Support Capabilities
Design
- Editing
- Photography
- Printed Materials
- 3D Printing
- 3D Modeling
- CAD
- Human Factors
- Ergonomics
- Product Design
- User Interface
- Technical Illustration
- Concept Design
Production
- Sound
- Story Boarding
- Script Writing
- Motion Graphics
- 3D Animation
- Interactive Applications
- Mixed Reality
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Visualization
- Simulation
SACD Projects Featuring ACL Visualization
Havoc
The High Altitude Venus Operational Concept, or HAVOC, was a pre-formulation concept for exploring the atmosphere of Venus with a crewed airship. After exploring the atmosphere, the crew would return to Venus orbit (seen here) to rendezvous with their return vehicle.
Credit: ACL
Hercules
Hercules is a concept for a single-stage vehicle capable of doing descent to and ascent from the lunar surface, transporting both crew and cargo along the way. The vehicle could serve as the transportation system between Gateway and the Moon for future exploration missions.
Credit: ACL
X-57 Maxwell
NASA’s X-57 Maxwell was an all-electric experimental aircraft designed to demonstrate multiple cutting-edge technologies. The goal of the X-57 was to demonstrate that an all-electric airplane can be more efficient, quieter, and more environmentally friendly than airplanes powered by traditional gas piston-engines.
Credit: ACL
ACL Projects
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
April 10, 2025