NASA has selected 14 U.S. companies as partners whose technologies will enable the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. Selections were based on the agency’s fourth competitive Tipping Point solicitation with a combined value of $43.2 million, NASA said Monday.
Here are the 14 companies that NASA has selected:
- Blue Origin
- OxEon Energy
- Skyre
- SpaceX
- Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Inc.
- Paragon Space Development Corp. of Houston
- TallannQuest
- Accion Systems
- CU Aerospace
- ExoTerra Resource
- Blue Canyon Technologies
- Astrobotic Technology
- Intuitive Machines
- Luna Innovations
These companies will work to address technology areas such as cryogenic propellant production and management, sustainable energy generation, storage and distribution, efficient and affordable propulsion systems, autonomous operations, rover mobility and advanced avionics.
“These promising technologies are at a ‘tipping point’ in their development, meaning NASA’s investment is likely the extra push a company needs to significantly mature a capability,” said James Reuter, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. “These are important technologies necessary for sustained exploration of the Moon and Mars. As the agency focuses on landing astronauts on the Moon by 2024 with the Artemis program, we continue to prepare for the next phase of lunar exploration that feeds forward to Mars.”
Through firm-fixed-price contracts, STMD will make milestone payments over a performance period of up to 36 months. Each industry partner is required to contribute a minimum percent, based on the company’s size, of the total cost for each project.
STMD develops transformative space technologies to enable future missions. Tipping Point projects are managed by programs within STMD and in some cases include collaborations with NASA centers.
