The projects supported by the UK's Enabling Space Exploration fund could revolutionise the ability to journey deeper into space – including travel to Mars – safely and efficiently, the agency said.
They aim to use remote technologies and supplies found in space, to support long-term exploration missions.
One project is creating remote equipment which scientists can use to run experiments on biological models in deep space from Earth, with the goal of designing medical treatments for astronauts.
Other ventures include testing improved systems for recycling breathing gases while in space, and enhanced methods for extracting valuable resources, such as oxygen and metals, from Moon rock.
Another one of the projects will look at new nuclear power processes for propulsion.
“The concept of exploring deeper into space (...) is a global ambition that has been growing since humanity’s first forays into space in the 1950s," said Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK...