Episode Details
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[Interview+] This Crazy Robot Could Explore the CAVES of Titan | NIAC 2026
Description
BONUS PART STARTS AT 32:27
Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6h5It3GnTGI
Titan Dragonfly is one of the most exciting missions in development. But it'll have its limits. For example, it won't go into caves on Titan. Which are super interesting. But this NIAC project will study a robot that should be able to go there.
🟣 Guest: Dr. Daniel Drew https://danieldrew.me/
📜 Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK) https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/solid-state-propulsion-for-autonomous-reconnaissance-of-karst-spark/
👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/
00:00 Intro
01:31 What is karst
05:59 The NIAC project
23:28 Alternative use cases
27:48 Earth-based version
32:27 Using robots in Hawaii
39:15 Current obsessions
46:36 Final thoughts