NASA joins forces with private companies to develop future space technology

NASA announced that it has partnered with 13 U.S. companies to support the development of technology that will aid future missions.

Jim Reuter, head of NASA’s space technology mission, explains that the partnership has focused on specific areas. This public and private sector collaboration will not only accelerate technology development, but will enable early implementation of the technology.

Specific fields include advanced communication technologies, aircraft search and navigation technologies, advanced materials, atmospheric intrusion to descending and landing technologies, manufacturing and assembly technologies in space, electric power, propulsion and other exploration technologies. Among the private companies it has partnered with is SpaceX. SpaceX is currently working with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center to develop technology to land a spacecraft on the moon. In addition, technology for supplying propellant to the track is being studied at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. It is also developing spacecraft starships at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

Another private company is Blue Origin, led by Amazon Jeff Bezos. In addition to working with the NASA Johnson Space Center to develop a navigation or guidance system that can land a spacecraft on the moon, Blue Origin will supply power for two weeks for Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander in addition to the Glen Research Center. It also aims to realize a fuel cell system that can be used. In addition, NASA is also supporting the development of the Blue Moon lunar landing ship rocket engine nozzle.

NASA is supporting the development of a hydrogen generator for small thermal shields with Anasphere in Montana, and a system that automatically rears plants in space with Lockheed Martin.

In addition to these private partnerships, NASA announced in early July that it would undertake 12 projects on the lunar material transport service. The alliance is focused on increasing the amount of goods that lunar landers can carry at one time. Building a base on the Moon and further exploration will require a significant difference in transport capacity. Related information can be found here .