NASA Selects 12 Firms to Collaborate on Important Technologies Development

NASA has selected 16 proposals from 12 firms under the 2022 Announcement of Collaboration Option (ACO) to advance abilities and systems associated to NASA’s Moon to Mars Objectives. The cadre of U.S. market-led teams will exam a new lunar rover tire structure, develop a robotically assembled power method, make an electrically actuated gadget to join in-area propellant transfer traces, and much more.

Underneath unfunded Room Act Agreements, NASA will deliver access to its special services and technological skills, allowing the company to instantly assist continued development of promising systems without the transfer of funds.

“By sharing our know-how and amenities with U.S. corporations, NASA helps experienced abilities that promise to benefit our goals and the complete aerospace industry,” mentioned Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Area Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “These awards enable us to perform with equally small and significant corporations to advance some of the most vital technologies for upcoming exploration.”

The picked proposals, grouped by business, and the respective partnering NASA centers are:

Aerojet Rocketdyne in El Segundo, California (two options)

• Totally Additively Made LOX-LH2 Motor Demonstration – NASA Marshall
• Electrically Actuated Fast-Disconnect Coupling for Cislunar and Lunar Area Cryogenic Propellant Transfer – NASA Marshall

Blue Origin in Kent, Washington (two picks)

• Friction Stir Additive Producing – NASA Langley and NASA Marshall
• Metallic Thermal Protection Program – NASA Ames and NASA Langley

The Boeing Company in Arlington, Virginia

• Complicated Curvature Retractable Pin Software Friction Stir Welding Pathfinder Marketing campaign – NASA Marshall

Canopy Aerospace in Denver

• Very low-Charge Reusable Thermal Protection Procedure Substrates as an Different to Alumina Improved Thermal Barrier – NASA Ames

Lockheed Martin Company in Bethesda, Maryland (3 options)

• Friction Stir Welded Blanks for Superior Fashioned Shapes – NASA Langley
• In-Space Production Systems for Thermoplastic Composites – NASA Glenn, NASA Goddard, NASA Langley, and NASA Marshall
• Oscillating Heat Pipe Technologies for Aero Entry and Business Purposes – NASA Ames and NASA Marshall

Maxar in Westminster, Colorado

• Automated Robotic Assembly of the Light Bender Program – NASA Langley

Section Four in El Segundo, California

• Development of an ASCENT (Innovative Spacecraft Energetic Non-Harmful) Gasoline Feed Technique for the Phase Four RF (Radio Frequency) Thruster – NASA Marshall

Psionic, LLC in Hampton, Virginia

• Professional Wind Measurement Constellation – NASA Langley

Roccor, LLC (Redwire) in Erie, Colorado

• Characterization of Significant Facet Ratio Booms for Huge Apertures – NASA Langley

Sierra Room in Louisville, Colorado

• Development of Small-Charge Significant Temperature Reusable Thermal Safety Method – NASA Ames and NASA Johnson

Stratolaunch in Mojave, California

• Bringing Shuttle Orbiter TPS into the 21st Century – NASA Ames

Venturi Astrolab in Hawthorne, California

• Demonstrating Lunar Tire Engineering Readiness – NASA Glenn and NASA Johnson

Due to the fact the inaugural ACO in 2015, STMD has supported much more than 75 ACO initiatives, like the new awards. The period of performance will be negotiated for every single agreement, with an anticipated period of concerning 12 and 24 months. The complete approximated benefit of company sources to guidance the agreements is roughly $14.5 million.

The chosen proposals will be led by a various array of firms together with small and significant organizations and will acquire a broad range of technologies.

Venturi Astrolab will function with NASA’s Glenn Investigate Center in Cleveland and Johnson Room Center in Houston to show a strong lunar rover tire that can tolerate incredibly cold temperatures. The style could enable mission planners to consider more lunar places for rover exploration and extended traverses.

Psionic seeks to increase a effectively-analyzed landing know-how identified as Navigation Doppler Lidar to make wind measurements. The little business will do the job with NASA’s Langley Exploration Middle in Hampton, Virginia, to adapt the technological innovation for new prospective applications such as serious-time air targeted visitors management utilizing a satellite constellation and giving improved facts for finding out the climates of equally Earth and Mars.

Lockheed Martin will advance in-room production technologies for thermoplastic composites. This low-price materials calls for considerably less electrical power to make in-orbit compared to metal. The business will examination the method in simulated space environments with numerous NASA centers.

“The collaborations decrease the enhancement cost of room systems and aim to accelerate the infusion of new capabilities,” reported LK Kubendran, STMD, ACO, and Tipping Issue lead. “The 2022 ACO solicitation subjects have been intentionally broad, allowing for market to suggest rising abilities with the widest opportunity benefit, increasing entry to house for all.”

Businesses intrigued in acquiring place technological know-how with NASA can explore possibilities on-line. For more facts about NASA’s house engineering investments, go to:

www.nasa.gov/spacetech

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Sarah Frazier
Headquarters, Washington
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov