NASA announces 10 new collaborative partnerships focused on U.S. industry-developed space technologies that can advance the commercial space sector and benefit future NASA missions through the Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO) solicitation released by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).
These ACO selections will result in Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreements between the selected companies and NASA. NASA centers will partner with these companies to provide technical expertise and test facilities, as well as hardware and software, to aid in maturing technologies that can enable new mission capabilities.
“With these new partnerships, we are not only enabling our industry partners, but we’re proving that they’re instrumental in maturing critical space technologies aligned with NASA’s strategic goals,” said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for STMD at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These partnerships support the innovation economy, create U.S. jobs, and provide critical capabilities for future exploration and science missions.”
ACO Topic 1: Small Launch Vehicle Technology Development: With these selected projects, NASA will partner with industry to continue to expand commercial small launch capabilities:
- “LauncherOne Small Launch Vehicle Propulsion Advancement,” LauncherOne, Long Beach, California; partnering with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio
- “Propulsion System and Second Stage Structural Loads Interaction Test Platform at the Stennis Space Center E3-C2 Facility,” Relativity Space, Inglewood, California; partnering with NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Stennis, Mississippi
- “SPYDER Technology Guidance Navigation and Control Affordable Vehicle Avionics (AVA) Development,” UP Aerospace, Littleton, Colorado; partnering with NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California
ACO Topic 2: Reliable Electronics Technology Development: With these awarded projects, NASA will partner with industry to produce lower-cost, more reliable space electronics:
- “Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) GPU Qualification for Space Applications,” Cubic Aerospace, Reston, Virginia; partnering with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
- “Software Defined Reliability for Mission Critical Operations,” Astrobotic Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; partnering with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
- “Evaluation of Indium Phosphide (InP) Integrated Photonics Technology for Radio Frequency Photonics in Communication Satellites,” Space Systems Loral, Palo Alto, California; partnering with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
ACO Topic 3: Advanced Communications Technology Development: With these awarded projects, NASA will partner with industry to support the development of advanced commercial space telecommunications capabilities:
- “ATLAS LINKS Electronically Steered Aperture Array System,” ATLAS Space Operations, Encinitas, California; partnering with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
- ”Development of a Space-Based Ka Band Radio,” ViaSat, Duluth, Georgia; partnering with NASA’s Glenn Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center
ACO Topic 4: In-space Propulsion Technology Development: With these awarded projects, NASA will partner with industry to advance key in-space propulsion capabilities needed for future missions:
- “600W Hall Thruster Qualification Life Test,” Busek Co., Natick, Massachusetts; partnering with NASA’s Glenn Research Center
- “Liquid Oxygen/Methane (LOX/CH4) Lander Propulsion Collaboration,” Blue Origin, Kent, Washington; partnering with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Marshall Space Flight Center
Through the ACO, NASA’s investments in industry partnerships can reduce the cost of the development of technologies and accelerate the infusion of emerging commercial space system capabilities into space missions. Projects resulting from the ACO will enable public-private partnerships managed by programs within STMD.
STMD is responsible for developing the crosscutting, pioneering, new technologies and capabilities needed to achieve NASA missions. STMD rapidly innovates, develops, demonstrates, and infuses revolutionary, high-payoff technologies through transparent, collaborative partnerships, expanding the boundaries of the aerospace enterprise.
For more information about NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech
For more information about Space Technology Mission Directorate solicitations, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/solicitations
