(AGENPARL) – gio 15 giugno 2023 June 15, 2023 
RELEASE 23-069
*Seven US Companies Collaborate with NASA to Advance Space Capabilities*
nasa_meatball_1.jpeg
*/Credits: NASA/*
Blue Origin’s launch and manufacturing complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
*/Credits: Blue Origin/*
NASA will partner with seven U.S. companies to meet future commercial and
government needs, ultimately benefitting human spaceflight and the U.S.
commercial low Earth orbit economy.
Through unfunded Space Act Agreements, the second Collaborations for
Commercial Space Capabilities-2 initiative (CCSC-2) is designed to advance
commercial space-related efforts through NASA contributions of technical
expertise, assessments, lessons learned, technologies, and data. Structured
sharing of NASA expertise demands minimal government resources but fosters
development of capabilities that can be crucial to development of a robust
low Earth orbit economy.
Artist’s concept of Northrop Grumman’s Persistent Platform concept in low
Earth orbit.
*/Credits: Northrop Grumman/*
The companies selected for the Collaborations for Commercial Space
Capabilities-2 are:
* Blue Origin, Kent, Washington
* Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Dulles, Virginia
* Sierra Space Corporation, Broomfield, Colorado
* Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, Hawthorne, California
* Special Aerospace Services, Boulder, Colorado
* ThinkOrbital Inc., Lafayette, Colorado
* Vast Space LLC, Long Beach, California
Artist’s concept of Sierra Space’s crewed Dream Chaser spaceplane docking
to the company’s LIFE habitat.
*/Credits: Sierra Space/*
“It is great to see companies invest their own capital toward innovative
commercial space capabilities, and we’ve seen how these types of
partnerships benefit both the private sector and NASA,” said Phil
McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight at NASA Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. “The companies can leverage NASA’s vast knowledge and
experience, and the agency can be a customer for the capabilities included in
the agreements in the future. Ultimately, these agreements will foster more
competition for services and more providers for innovative space
capabilities.”
SpaceX’s Starship rocket sits on a launch pad at the company’s Starbase
in Texas.
*/Credits: SpaceX/*
NASA selected these proposals based on an evaluation of their relevance to
achieving the agency’s goals and its ability to provide the requested
resources, as well as the feasibility of the company’s business and
technical approach. Each party bears the cost of its participation through
the agreements.
A Special Aerospace Services engineer tests the company’s Autonomous
Maneuvering Unit.
*/Credits: Special Aerospace Services/*
*Projects*
Blue Origin is collaborating with NASA to develop integrated commercial space
transportation capability that ensures safe, affordable, and high-frequency
US access to orbit for crew and other missions.
Artist’s concept of ThinkOrbital’s ThinkPlatform in low Earth orbit.
*/Credits: ThinkOrbital/*
Northrop Grumman is collaborating with NASA on the company’s Persistent
Platform to provide autonomous and robotic capabilities for commercial
science research and manufacturing capabilities in low Earth orbit
Sierra Space is collaborating with NASA for the development of the
company’s commercial low Earth orbit ecosystem, including next-generation
space transportation, in-space infrastructure, and expandable and tailorable
space facilities providing a human presence in low Earth orbit.
Artist’s concept of Vast’s Haven-1 commercial space station in low Earth
orbit.
*/Credits: Vast/*
SpaceX is collaborating with NASA on an integrated low Earth orbit
architecture to provide a growing portfolio of technology with near-term
Dragon evolution and concurrent Starship development. This architecture
includes Starship as a transportation and in-space low-Earth orbit
destination element supported by Super Heavy, Dragon, and Starlink, and
constituent capabilities including crew and cargo transportation,
communications, and operational and ground support.
Special Aerospace Services is collaborating with NASA on an in-space
servicing technology, propulsion, and robotic technology called the
Autonomous Maneuvering Unit (AMU) and the Astronaut Assist-AMU for commercial
in-space servicing and mobility applications intended for safer assembly of
commercial low Earth orbit destinations, servicing, retrieval, and inspection
of in-space systems.
ThinkOrbital is collaborating with NASA on the development of ThinkPlatforms
and CONTESA (Construction Technologies for Space Applications).
ThinkPlatforms are self-assembling, single-launch, large-scale orbital
platforms that facilitate a wide array of applications in low Earth orbit,
including in-space research, manufacturing, and astronaut missions. CONTESA
features welding, cutting, inspection, and additive manufacturing
technologies, and aids in large-scale in-space fabrication.
Vast is collaborating with NASA on technologies and operations required for
its microgravity and artificial gravity stations. This includes the Haven-1
commercial destination, which will provide a microgravity environment for
crew, research, and in-space manufacturing, and the first crewed mission,
called Vast-1, to the platform. Development activities for larger space
station modules will also take place under the Space Act Agreement.
NASA’s support for a robust low Earth orbit economy is intended to boost
education and job growth in science and engineering, and to spur economic
growth through the creation of new space markets. The first Collaborations
for Commercial Space Capabilities [1] selections in 2014 supported
development of four collaborations associated commercial rockets, spacecraft,
and spacesuits.
For decades, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence in low Earth
orbit with astronauts living and working aboard the International Space
Station. In 2019, NASA adopted a strategy to help achieve the agency's goal
of a low Earth orbit marketplace where NASA is one of many customers and the
private sector leads the way. This strategy will enable NASA to continue
using low Earth orbit to foster scientific discovery and technology
development that both improves life on Earth and advances human exploration
into deep space.
For more information about NASA initiatives and commercial space, visit:
*https://www.nasa.gov/leo-economy*
-end-
*Press Contacts*
Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
Gary Jordan
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
NASA news releases and other information are available automatically by
text in the body is required).
To unsubscribe from the list, send an e-mail message
required).
[1] https://www.nasa.gov/content/collaborations-for-commercial-space-capabilities-ccsc