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Satellites could connect to a Mars surveyor and quickly transfer data to Earth as they pass between the two planets without advanced propulsion by using a cycler orbit, which places a craft on continuous intersects between Mars and Earth.
The novel Chargeable Atomic Battery could more safely and cheaply power a spacecraft tasked with intercepting interstellar objects and bringing samples back to Earth for study.
Magnetically levitated robots could shuttle material on a flexible track on the moon, removing the need to build roads or replace worn-out moving parts.
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Compressed structures loaded on a Falcon Heavy rocket could expand to more than a kilometer in orbit and rotate to create artificial gravity, making them suitable for orbital habitation.
A robot with extendable arms could explore and sample Martian caves and cliff faces to find older and harder-to-reach material samples.
Tiny, wirelessly controlled robots could expand the range of missions to find life on ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus.
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Fungi could be used to break down carbon-rich asteroids and remove toxic substances, turning regolith into usable soil for human habitats.
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Arrays of telescope optics, lenses, and mirrors on the moon could capture and redirect light to photovoltaic panels, providing power even in deep craters that don't receive direct light.
A rover could deploy drilling robots to autonomously collect ice from below the surface of Mars, where signs of life may be present.