Today, NASA unveiled its latest round of investments, totaling $150 million, focused on the advancement of cutting-edge space tech. Eleven beneficiaries including Blue Origin and Astrobotic have been selected as part of NASA’s Tipping Point program. This program earmarks funds for technologies that can be significantly matured and market-ready with a little extra push.
Moon exploration technologies get a boost
NASA’s Acting Associate Administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, Prasun Desai, highlighted the program’s goal as helping “crucial technologies cross the finish line.” He added that these industry partnerships are expected to play a significant role in the return of humanity to the moon under the Artemis program.
Of the eleven companies, five are working on technologies for sustained lunar exploration. Blue Origin, with an award of $34.7 million, is set to further develop its process of producing solar cells from lunar regolith. This effort is part of the company’s Blue Alchemist initiative.
Astrobotic, hoping to launch a lunar lander later this year, has been granted $34.6 million to showcase a novel power transmission system on the lunar surface. The LunaGrid-Lite demonstration will endeavor to generate and transmit solar power via a 1-kilometer-long cable on the moon.
Other promising space technologies
The other six companies are working on diverse space technologies. One such project is by Varda Space Industries, awarded $1.9 million to advance and commercialize an innovative thermal protection system material, originally developed by NASA. United Launch Alliance has been granted $25 million to continue its work on an inflatable heat shield technology, potentially useful in recovering rocket booster parts from space.
What are your thoughts, dear readers, on these advanced space tech projects? Please feel free to share your insights and opinions in the comments section below!
