NASA selected 18 visionary technology concepts for its 2026 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Phase I grants, providing up to $175,000 for each nine-month initial investigation. Among the selected fellows are three Indian American researchers whose early-stage projects span solar radiation management, astronaut safety, and space imaging.
Dr. Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, received an award for his project titled “Dimming the Sun Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar Insolation” (DimSun). The study explores using controllable dust clouds in space to manage solar radiation reaching Earth.
Bandyopadhyay earned a Bachelor of Technology and Master of Technology in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2010. He later earned a Master of Science in 2013 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 2016 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Born and raised in India, he maintains strong personal roots in the country, where his family resides.
Read: Indian American NASA astronaut Anil Menon makes first spaceflight (July 15, 2026)
A.C. Charania, representing Zeno Power Systems, Inc. in Washington, was selected for project EARENDIL, short for “Extended Astronaut Radioisotope-EVA in Nighttime and Deep-space Icy Landscapes.” His concept examines incorporating radioisotopic heat sources into extravehicular activity suits to help keep astronauts warm during two-week lunar nights and deep-space missions.
Charania, who previously served as NASA’s chief technologist, holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a bachelor’s degree in economics from Emory University.
Born in the United States to an Indian immigrant family, he attributes his passion for space exploration to his family’s cultural emphasis on higher education and technological innovation.
Read: Indian American economist Bhaven Sampat joins Johns Hopkins faculty (July 28, 2026)
Dr. Anish Damodaran, a researcher at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, earned an award for project PS21, titled “Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic Technologies.” His project focuses on applying advanced photonic technologies to submillimeter space interferometry to improve astronomical observations.
Damodaran completed his undergraduate studies in engineering in India before moving to the United States to pursue advanced graduate degrees in electrical engineering and space optics.
Raised in an Indian family that encouraged scientific inquiry, he maintains close ties to his birthplace in India through ongoing academic mentorship and family connections.
These Phase I concepts showcase how early-stage, high-risk research provides the essential technological stepping stones for NASA’s long-term exploration goals.