Regina Garcia
NASA will provide research grants to three university teams over a 12-month period to examine the orbital environment and explore how the government can develop policies to tackle the problem of space junk.
An expert panel chose the winning proposals that are in line with the agency’s goal to address the risks of defunct manmade objects in orbit to space access and commercialization initiatives, NASA said Thursday.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Texas-Austin will collaborate on one project, while the University of Colorado-Boulder will work with the Secure World Foundation on a separate effort.
The University of Central Florida was also selected to carry out research work.
NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy will publish the findings once the studies are completed.
Awardees will have the opportunity to pursue a solicitation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international body promoting economic development and trade among its member countries, to address the sustainability of space-based infrastructure.
