One proposal, the plasma sail, has become the institute’s poster child. Known as M2P2, the plasma sail creates a magnetic field miles in diameter around a spacecraft to form a bubble that is pushed through space by the pressure of the solar wind. NASA, stunned to realize that this technology might be only a decade away, has already begun conducting tests of prototype systems and has incorporated the M2P2 into its strategic plan for future space propulsion systems.

Among the many projects being funded by the institute, listed here, are the space elevator, biomimetic robots for planetary exploration, an anti-matter-driven sail for deep space explorations, and chameleon spacesuits.