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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

A collage of artist concepts highlighting the novel approaches proposed by the 2026 NIAC awardees for possible future missions.

NASA/Left to Right: Keunhan Park, Michael Rubenstein, Austin Phoenix, Benjamin Schafer, A.C. Charania, Gilly Elor, Pablo Sobron, Marco Quadrelli, Daniel Drew, Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Jeff Nosanov, Anish Damodaran

Phase I

Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay

Dimming the Sun (DimSun) Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Pasadena, CA 91109-8001

2026 Phase I

David Bugby

Combinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS)

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Pasadena, CA 91109-8001

2026 Phase I

Anish Damodaran

PS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 32826-2933

2026 Phase I

Artur Davoyan

Coilable Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions

University of California

Los Angeles, CA 90024-0001

2026 Phase I

A.C. Charania

EARENDIL: Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes

Zeno Power Systems, Inc.

Washington, DC 20001-3701

2026 Phase I

Daniel Drew

Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK)

University of Hawaii

Honolulu, HI 96822-2303

2026 Phase I

Gilly Elor

Power-over-Fiber to Enable a Lunar Underground eXplorer (LUX)

Stone Aerospace, Inc.

Del Valle, TX 78617-3017

2026 Phase I

Zhaoyan Liu

Quantum Wind Lidar Applications for Planetary and Earth Science Missions

NASA Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94034-0001

2026 Phase I

Jeff Nosanov

OBLIVIAN: Observing Black hole LIght Via Intensity cOrrelatioN

Orbital Velocity, LLC

Decatur, GA 30033-4151

2026 Phase I

Keunhan Park

Plasmon-Enhanced Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) Power Generation for Interstellar Missions

University of Utah

Salt Lake City 84112-1109

2026 Phase I

Austin Phoenix

ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental Control

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State

University, Blacksburg, VA 24060-5605

2026 Phase I

Marco Quadrelli

PRAXIS: Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Pasadena, CA 91109-8001

2026 Phase I

Michael Rubenstein

Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere

Northwestern University

Chicago Evanston, IL 60208-0001

2026 Phase I

Benjamin Schafer

Photophoretic Tracers for Near-Space Remote Sensing at 30-100 km Altitudes

University of California

Los Angeles, CA 90024-0001

2026 Phase I

David Smith

Robotically Assembled Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Long-Range Space Situational Awareness

Duke University

Durham, NC 27708-9976

2026 Phase I

Pablo Sobron

Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys

SETI Institute

Mountain View, CA 94043-5203

2026 Phase I

Paul Stankus

Mapping Alien Continents: Achieving Optical VLBI for Exoplanet Imaging

Brookhaven Science Associates

Upton NY 11973-0001

2026 Phase I

Paul Stankus

Precision Astrometry Using Optically Independent Spacecraft for Graviational Wave Detection

Brookhaven Science Associates

Upton, NY 11973-0001

2026 Phase I

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Last Updated

Jul 21, 2026

Editor

Loura Hall

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Close to 20 years since the hit comedy The Big Bang Theory premiered, the series kickstarted one of the longest-running television franchises. The mothership series concluded in 2019, but fans had already been introduced to the next chapter in the form of a prequel series: Young Sheldon . As the title suggests, the show followed Sheldon Cooper ( Iain Armitage ) in his younger years growing up in Texas. This prequel was a success , and it led to yet another spin-off in 2024. The second series is a sequel to Young Sheldon , but it doesn't follow Sheldon; it follows his older brother, Georgie ( Montana Jordan ). Titled Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage , it chronicles Georgie's rise from a struggling teenage husband to a successful businessman.

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Report finds 74% of regular AI users now pose questions to AI instead of human colleagues

New workers are missing out on vital social interactions for company culture

Employees say they feel more self-sufficient and comfortable making decisions

While the jury is still out on whether AI could be set to replace human workers or severely impact their scopes by automating major parts of their workflows, one thing is clear – humans are increasingly happy to use AI as a colleague and collaborator.

A new MyIQ analysis of nearly 22,500 adults found around three in four (74%) regular AI users now pose the questions they would formerly have asked colleagues to AI.

As a result, around half (48%) now report fewer spontaneous conversations during the working day, suggesting that the effect may extend beyond deliberately redirecting questions to AI with it now having a more profound impact on the social elements of work.

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates now face a complex paradox

While the report doesn’t explicitly cover it, the data presents interesting takes on modern workplace habits.

Post-pandemic layoffs and work-from-home mandates were quickly followed by urgent return-to-office mandates, with CEOs globally encouraging in-person working due to the collaborative nature of shared environments, and the opportunities to have ad-hoc conversations that spark learning and broader thinking.

With around half now saying this doesn’t happen so frequently, the findings beg the question whether commuting to the office might be all that necessary after all in an AI-first era.

Roughly two in five (38%) also noted that newer employees now have fewer natural opportunities to build relationships because routine questions are being redirected to AI, not human colleagues.

“Repeated across a working week, those missing exchanges can mean fewer opportunities to build trust, share judgment, and become known inside a team,” MyIQ Managing Director Sarah Meyer wrote.

Around half (53%) of the respondents also described their work as more transactional since adopting AI, marking a major shift in workplace dynamics.

AI might be more efficient, but it’s still lacking in certain areas

But despite the negative social implications, AI’s role in brainstorming, questioning and critical thinking could be seen as positive, too. For example, nearly two-thirds (62%) say they feel more comfortable making decisions independently than they did a year ago, with nearly three-quarters (71%) feeling more self-sufficient at work.

The report also warns that, while a chatbot can supply an immediate and often factually correct answer, it lacks the accompanying social information and organizational knowledge that a colleague would bring to the table.

Interestingly, a similar SurveyMonkey study revealed that 77% want more opportunities to brainstorm with colleagues and 61% want stronger connections across teams even though workers are increasingly settling for the first AI-generated answer, instead of digging deeper.

Together, these two reports imply that workers are increasingly seeking the efficiency that AI promises and they’re willing to ask questions for a quicker answer, but they still value the collaborative nature of human interactions within the workplace.

What’s less clear is how employers could implement these opposing forces into one unified workforce, while delivering the hybrid approach that workers have come to value with working from home and benefiting from going to the office.

“As AI makes solitary problem-solving easier, organisations may need to pay closer attention to the forms of workplace learning and social connection that efficiency alone does not capture,” the MyIQ study concludes.

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First production Ferrari Luce EV heads to auction during Monterey Car Week.

Unique Tailor Made specification could push bidding well beyond $1.1 million.

All proceeds from Luce sale support Ferrari Foundation educational initiatives.

Ferrari’s first electric car has already divided opinion long before most customers have even seen one in person. Now the Italian automaker is turning that controversy into a fundraising opportunity by auctioning off the very first production example of the Luce.

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The car, identified as “Chassis 0,” will cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Car Week sale in August. Ferrari says the sale represents a unique chance to acquire the first production chassis from the Luce program, and all proceeds will go toward educational initiatives supported by The Ferrari Foundation.

Related: Ferrari Boss Was Thrilled When Fans Trashed The $640K Luce

That charitable angle could help push bidding well beyond the car’s already substantial value. RM Sotheby’s estimates the one-off EV is worth more than $1.1 million, a significant premium over the standard Luce, which costs $640,000.

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RM Sotheby’s

What buyers will get in return is a Luce that’s been curated by Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalization division . The entire concept revolves around light and the way it changes the appearance of surfaces, with a color and materials package developed specifically for this example.

The exterior wears a bespoke Madreperla Semi-Gloss finish that Ferrari says incorporates a dedicated Tailor Made pigment. Depending on lighting conditions and viewing angle, the paint is designed to produce shifting reflections that move between green and violet tones. Ferrari also claims that the complexity of the finishing process means every application develops its own character.

Metallic Leather Upholstery

Inside, the cabin continues the theme with Perla Le Mans metallic leather paired with Grigio Corvara secondary trim pieces. Ferrari says the metallic leather was developed exclusively for the Tailor Made program and was selected for both its appearance and its ability to enhance the cabin’s sense of brightness. Whatever you do, don’t eat in there.

This particular Luce also receives color-coded wheels in a conventional five-spoke design, rather than the ugly disc wheels seen in some Luce launch images, and bespoke brake calipers. And there’s a unique plaque identifying it as the first production chassis of the Luce program.

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Whether you view the electric Luce as a bold step into the future or an unwelcome departure from tradition, its place in Ferrari history is already secure. And the controversy could mean that for once the biggest auction price shock at Monterey isn’t how much someone paid for a vintage V12-powered 250 GT SWB or California Spider, but how much money changed hands for a modern Ferrari with no engine at all.

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RM Sotheby’s