admin 16 proposals from 12 companies under the 2022 Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO) are selected by NASA to advance capabilities and technologies related to NASA’s Moon to Mars Objectives. The cadre of U.S. industry-led teams will test a new lunar rover tire design, develop a robotically assembled power system, build an electrically actuated device to join in-space propellant transfer lines, and more.
Under unfunded Space Act Agreements, NASA will provide access to its unique facilities and technical expertise, allowing the agency to directly support continued development of promising technologies without the transfer of funds.
“By sharing our knowledge and facilities with U.S. companies, NASA helps mature capabilities that promise to benefit our objectives and the entire aerospace industry,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “These awards allow us to work with both small and large companies to advance some of the most crucial technologies for future exploration.”
The Companies that are selected are: Aerojet Rocketdyne in El Segundo, California, Blue Origin in Kent, Washington, The Boeing Company in Arlington, Virginia, Canopy Aerospace in Denver, Lockheed Martin Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland, Maxar in Westminster, Colorado, Phase Four in El Segundo, California, Psionic, LLC in Hampton, Virginia, Roccor, LLC (Redwire) in Erie, Colorado, Sierra Space in Louisville, Colorado, Stratolaunch in Mojave, California, and lastly, Venturi Astrolab in Hawthorne, California.
Since the inaugural ACO in 2015, STMD has supported more than 75 ACO projects, including the new awards. The period of performance will be negotiated for each agreement, with an expected duration of between 12 and 24 months. The total estimated value of agency resources to support the agreements is approximately $14.5 million.
The selected proposals will be led by a diverse array of companies including small and large businesses and will develop a broad range of technologies.
Venturi Astrolab will work with NASA’s Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland and Johnson Space Centre in Houston to demonstrate a durable lunar rover tire that can tolerate extremely cold temperatures. The design could allow mission planners to consider more lunar locations for rover exploration and longer traverses.
“The collaborations reduce the development cost of space technologies and aim to accelerate the infusion of new capabilities,” said LK Kubendran, STMD, ACO, and Tipping Point lead. “The 2022 ACO solicitation topics were intentionally broad, allowing industry to propose emerging capabilities with the widest potential benefit, increasing access to space for all.”
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