Imagine knowing what’s in the air we breathe, not just in your city, but on your block. The data from the TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) satellite will create a future where citizens are much more informed about their air quality, paving the way for more accurate air quality predictions and better awareness around environmental inequalities that affect public health. 

Imagine a world where faster-than-sound travel is possible—without all the noise. The Quesst mission reawakens the dream of commercial supersonic flight with a new aircraft that reduces loud sonic booms to quieter sonic “thumps.” In time, these advancements could revolutionize the time it takes to travel across the country for people everywhere.

Imagine a not-so-distant future where you walk out of your home and hop into an electric air taxi that quickly navigates across the city and drops you off at work. NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility team is working to create a revolutionary new air transportation system that will transform our communities with low altitude passenger transport, cargo delivery, and public service capabilities. 

Imagine a future where humans live and work in permanent structures on the Moon and Mars. To make this a reality, NASA scientists are exploring ways to safely land spacecraft carrying heavy materials onto the surface of planets with a variety of atmospheric conditions to consider. LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator) is an experimental new inflatable heat shield that just might be the first step to solving that problem, eventually making multi-planetary life possible.

Imagine being able to travel farther into space than ever before, without the limitations of rocket fuel. The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) uses pressure from the sun for propulsion—just like a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail. This incredible new system creates the possibility of longer, cheaper, safer journeys of discovery into deep space.