The Integrated Rotating Detonation Engine System (InRoDES) project is developing a new kind of rocket engine that uses supersonic rotating detonation waves to boost efficiency and reduce engine mass. This emerging propulsion technology could one day help power human landers and deep‑space missions more efficiently.

Solar storms and coronal mass ejections can cause considerable damage on Earth by overloading power grids, disrupting radio communications, and affecting aircraft and spacecraft. Solar sails can carry early warning systems to monitor space weather. The S5 mission will demonstrate a solar sail propulsion system, showing how the sail can be controlled and maneuvered in space. Because solar sails have the unique ability to navigate in close proximity to the sun, this propulsion system can receive unlimited thrust from sunlight.  

NASA and Eta Space are collaborating on LOXSAT, which will test 11 cryogenic fluid technologies while in low Earth orbit over nine months. Data collected from the demonstration will support future development of in-space propellant depots. These depots are like the space version of gas stations, and they could refuel spacecraft before they journey to the Moon, Mars, or other deep space destinations.

NASA and United Launch Alliance are collaborating on LEAP, an in-orbit demonstration that will test multiple cryogenic fluid management technologies that are essential for enabling long-duration human and robotic missions to Mars and beyond. Data collected will validate models and designs for future spacecraft and habitats.

To enable refueling in space, NASA is developing technologies that can reliably move cryogenic propellants between tanks in microgravity. Transfer is difficult because cryogenic fluids behave differently without gravity, and hardware must withstand extreme temperatures. The primary challenges are collecting propellant at the tank outlet and chilling down the transfer line and receiving tank while minimizing propellant loss due to venting warm gas. Advancing transfer capabilities will allow spacecraft to dock with future propellant depots and “fill up” before heading deeper into the solar system.

Cryogenic propellants like liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen must be kept extremely cold to remain in a usable liquid state. The space environment isn’t as cold as some may think, and sunlight and spacecraft heat can cause these fluids to warm and boil away. Combining high-performance insulation and specialized cryogenic refrigeration systems called cryocoolers can retain these ultra-cold propellants without loss.

Future exploration missions could produce fuel at destinations like the Moon and Mars. NASA is maturing technologies that can liquefy oxygen and hydrogen found in resources such as water ice on the surface. By converting these gasses into cryogenic propellants, landers could be refueled onsite, significantly reducing the amount of propellant that needs to be transported when launching from Earth.

In microgravity, cryogenic propellants become unsettled and will float, slosh, and cling to surfaces, making traditional fuel gauges unreliable. NASA is advancing mass‑gauging and flow measurement technologies that can accurately determine remaining propellant in low‑gravity conditions. Reliable measurement ensures mission planners know exactly how much fuel is available for maneuvers, landings, and return trips.

The SPLICE project has focused on the development, maturation, infusion, and commercialization of three focal technologies for descent and landing: Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), surface mapping lidar, and advanced guidance. Using the reflection of laser beams on the surface, NDL provides ultra-precise measurements of the descending lander’s velocity and range. The surface mapping lidar known as Exploration Lidar Sensor Assembly (ELSA) creates high-resolution maps of the landing surface that onboard software then uses to perform navigation, detect hazards, and identify suitable landing sites. These technologies will enable safer and more precise surface landings than ever before.

Plume Surface Interaction (PSI) describes the environments resulting from the impingement of rocket engine exhaust onto an unprepared planetary or lunar surface. NASA is advancing the understanding of these complex effects through investments in predictive modeling, ground testing, and novel instruments and sensors to obtain critical data in the lab and in flight. Outcomes from these efforts are reducing risks from PSI for propulsive landers of all mission scales and destinations. 

To protect astronauts and payloads during atmospheric entry, spacecraft must withstand extreme conditions such as high temperatures and hypersonic speeds. NASA’s Entry Systems Modeling (ESM) project provides the agency with validated, physics-based modeling and simulation capabilities essential for designing, developing, and qualifying spacecraft entry systems that are safe, reliable, and innovative. Because full-fidelity flight testing is impractical for most destinations, ESM delivers the predictive tools, cross-disciplinary expertise, and uncertainty qualification needed to reduce mission risk and accelerate design cycles.