NASA selected 10 U.S. companies for 19 partnerships to mature industry-developed space technologies. As NASA prepares to land humans on the Moon by 2024 with the Artemis program, commercial companies are developing new technologies, working toward space ventures of their own, and looking to NASA for assistance.
NASA centers will partner with the companies, which range from small businesses with fewer than a dozen employees to large aerospace organizations, to provide expertise, facilities, hardware and software at no cost. The partnerships aims to help advance the commercial space sector and help bring new capabilities to market that could benefit future NASA missions.
“NASA’s proven experience and unique facilities are helping commercial companies mature their technologies at a competitive pace,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). “We’ve identified technology areas NASA needs for future missions, and these public-private partnerships will accelerate their development so we can implement them faster.”
Companies include SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Maxar Technologies, Sierra Nevada, Baily Ribbon, Anasphere, Aerogel Technologies, and Spirit AeroSystem.