NASA is calling on industry, academia, government partners and the public to help shape the agency’s future technology investments.
The space agency said Tuesday that it is seeking input on 32 identified technology shortfalls, or critical capability gaps. Responses are due Feb. 20.
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What Are NASA’s Civil Space Shortfalls?
In NASA’s space technology planning, a shortfall refers to a technology area that still needs further development. Unlike a gap, where both the current capability and the desired capability are clearly defined, a shortfall simply highlights where current capabilities fall short of what will be required.
For 2026, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate consolidated its technology assessments into a list of 32 shortfalls, each representing a group of functions that must all be developed to meet future exploration, science and other mission needs.
Some of the shortfalls are advanced propulsion for deep-space and planetary missions, autonomous systems and robotics to support space operations, extreme environment materials and components, high-bandwidth space communications systems, and radiation protection and human health technologies.
What Did NASA Identify in Its Previous Shortfall Ranking?
NASA’s current call for feedback builds on its first integrated Civil Space Shortfall Ranking released in July 2024. The Space Technology Mission Directorate analyzed 187 technology shortfalls across 20 capability areas, drawing on 1,231 responses from NASA centers, government agencies, industry and academia.
The highest-ranked needs included technologies to operate through lunar light, high-power energy generation for lunar and Mars surface missions, and high-performance onboard computing.
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