NASA Awards Funding To More Than 200 Small Businesses For Innovative Space Technologies
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NASA has provided funds to almost 200 small enterprises to research innovative technology to safeguard astronauts’ health, reduce the danger of collision damage to spacecraft, and more. The new NASA Small Business Innovation academic (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards assist NASA’s future missions by investing in a wide portfolio of American small businesses and academic institutions.
For the first round of financing, NASA chose 300 submissions from 249 small enterprises and 39 research institutions, including eight Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Each proposal team will receive $150,000 to establish the merit and feasibility of their innovations, for a total agency investment of $45 million. Small firms are granted Phase I SBIR contracts for six months, whereas small enterprises in cooperation with a research university are awarded Phase I STTR contracts for 13 months. The complete listings of this year’s SBIR and STTR recipients are accessible online.
New Technologies for Astronaut Health and Safety
A number of the new technologies funded by NASA’s SBIR/STTR program will focus on improving the health and safety of astronauts. For example, nou Systems, Inc., a women-owned small business based in Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded funding to develop a new system for monitoring the microbial environment on spacecraft. This system will use DNA analysis to identify and track harmful microbes, helping to protect astronauts from infection.
Another company, HyBird Space Systems LLC, has been awarded funding to develop a new retrobraking propulsion system that will help to deorbit spacecraft and prevent them from colliding with other objects in space. This technology could help to reduce the risk of orbital debris, which poses a serious threat to both astronauts and spacecraft.
New Technologies for Space Exploration
In addition to developing new technologies for astronaut health and safety, NASA’s SBIR/STTR program is also funding a number of projects that will advance space exploration. For example, 2pi Microwave Inc., a small business based in Milpitas, California, has been awarded funding to develop a new lidar system that will be used for a variety of space exploration missions. Lidar is a technology that uses light to measure distance, and it can be used for tasks such as mapping the surface of Mars, searching for exoplanets, and detecting asteroids.
New Technologies for Commercial Spaceflight
Some of the new technologies funded by NASA’s SBIR/STTR program have the potential to benefit the commercial space industry as well. For example, a team of researchers from the University of Maryland has been awarded funding to develop a new type of battery that could be used to power commercial spacecraft. This battery would be lighter and more efficient than current batteries, which could make commercial spaceflight more affordable.
NASA’s SBIR/STTR Program
NASA’s SBIR/STTR program is a highly competitive program that provides funding to small businesses and research institutions to develop innovative technologies. The program has a long history of success, and it has helped to launch the careers of many successful entrepreneurs.
The new awards announced today are a testament to the strength of NASA’s SBIR/STTR program. These awards will help to accelerate the development of new technologies that will benefit NASA’s missions, as well as the commercial space industry.
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