NASA picks 41 industry projects for Moon and Mars technology work
The agency will pair 37 U.S. companies with NASA resources to develop power, logistics, dust protection and other exploration systems.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
NASA has selected 41 technology proposals from 37 U.S. companies for work tied to future Moon and Mars missions. The choices matter because the agency is trying to speed development of systems needed for lunar infrastructure, surface operations and later deep-space exploration without making direct cash awards.
NASA said the projects are part of its 2025 Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity, a program that links companies with agency expertise and resources. The effort targets technologies for space transportation, operations on planetary surfaces and long-duration infrastructure on the Moon.
Greg Stover, director of the Advanced Research and Technology Division in NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate, said the agency wants American companies to act as partners in missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. NASA said using commercial work can help develop needed capabilities while supporting the U.S. space economy.
How the partnerships work
Under the collaboration program, NASA does not provide direct funding to the selected companies. Instead, the agency said firms may use NASA facilities, hardware, software and technical expertise while developing technologies that could serve both commercial users and government missions.
NASA said the program has supported more than 110 projects since it began in 2015. The agency estimates it has contributed about $30 million in resources, while participating companies have put in an additional $32 million.
The new agreements are expected to run from 12 to 24 months, according to NASA, with the final schedule set through separate negotiations for each project. The 2025 round focused on areas NASA identified as strong candidates for public-private cooperation.
Those areas include propulsion parts, guidance and navigation, landing systems, in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing, and energy management. NASA said the selected work could help reduce costs, widen customer options and add new capabilities for space operations as the technologies mature.
Power, logistics and lunar dust
Several selected projects address power systems, a key issue for long-term operations away from Earth. NASA said Lockheed Martin plans to advance a compact, modular system intended to produce electricity in permanently shadowed areas of the Moon, where sunlight does not reach.
NASA said Lockheed Martin also will continue work on a wireless power transfer system that uses fiber lasers. The company’s work includes a space-based heat rejection system meant to improve the durability of power-beaming technology, according to NASA.
Kall Morris Inc. was selected to continue development of Asteria, a supplemental payload attachment system. NASA said the system is designed to work with older, current and future spacecraft by using a controlled-release adhesive that does not require built-in mounting hardware and is not destructive.
NASA said that type of attachment system could support spacecraft maneuvering, object tracking, satellite protection, data collection and mission life extension. The agency did not announce direct funding for the work under the collaboration program.
Moonprint Solutions, identified by NASA as a small business, is working on flexible covers to protect equipment from abrasive lunar dust. NASA said the covers can fit complex shapes, making them candidates for rovers, robotic joints, hoses and other moving hardware.
The agency said dust protection could support longer operations on the Moon and Mars. NASA described the broader set of 41 selections as part of its push to build exploration capabilities while giving commercial space companies tools they may later sell or adapt for other customers.
This story draws on original reporting from ScienceDaily.