Jay Clemens
NASA has launched two solicitations worth nearly $50 million combined for new space technologies intended to advance science and human exploration missions.
The space agency said Friday it plans to form a public-private partnership to develop and market commercial space systems under the tipping point technologies solicitation.
Under this program with a submission deadline of July 23, NASA seeks technologies for robotic manufacturing of spacecraft and structures, remote sensing application instruments, small spacecraft attitude determination and control sensors and actuators, and small spacecraft propulsion systems.
For the other solicitation, NASA wants suborbital and small satellite launch systems, wireless power transfer, thermal protection systems, green propellant thruster and liquid rocket engine, with a submission deadline of July 30.
NASA intends for those systems to provide technical expertise, test facilities, hardware and software for industry partners to mature space vehicle systems.
“These solicitations form an increased focus on collaborations with the commercial space sector that not only leverage emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA’s strategic goals, but also focus on industry needs,” said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for NASA’s space technology mission directorate.
