The Download: NASA’s nuclear spacecraft and unveiling our AI 10
NASA's 2028 nuclear-powered Mars craft and a definitive list of the 10 most important AI breakthroughs.
MIT Technology Review's newsletter, The Download, highlights two significant tech frontiers. First, NASA is developing a nuclear-powered spacecraft for interplanetary travel, with a goal to fly to Mars by the end of 2028. This mission, shrouded in some mystery, represents a potential new era in spaceflight and a key move in the US-China space race. Experts are analyzing how the nuclear thermal propulsion system might function for such a long-duration journey.
The second major announcement is the creation of a new, AI-specific list: '10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now.' This list was born from the challenge of curating the 2026 Breakthrough Technologies list, which had too many worthy AI candidates to include. The full list will be unveiled on stage at MIT Technology Review's EmTech AI conference on April 21 and published online thereafter. The list aims to cut through the noise and identify the AI developments with the most immediate and substantial impact.
The newsletter also briefly covered other tech news, including an experimental gene therapy trial for 'radical longevity' by Unlimited Bio, major tech companies (Google, Microsoft, Meta) allegedly tracking users who opt out, and OpenAI's release of a new cybersecurity-focused model, GPT-5.4-Cyber.
- NASA aims to launch a nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft to Mars by 2028, signaling a major shift in propulsion technology.
- MIT Technology Review will debut '10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now' on April 21, a curated list of the most impactful AI developments.
- The AI list was created due to an overflow of candidates from the annual Breakthrough Technologies list, highlighting AI's rapid pace.
Why It Matters
These developments mark pivotal shifts in interplanetary travel and provide a crucial filter for understanding the rapidly evolving AI landscape.