NASA TechFlights 2023 - Request for Information

Sponsor Deadline: 

Mar 31, 2023

Sponsor: 

NASA

UI Contact: 

View details and summary of this request

Two topics are anticipated for this solicitation:

  • Topic 1 addresses demonstration of capabilities that support global lunar utilization leading to commercial commodities and services for a robust lunar economy and/or demonstration of technologies for low-Earth orbit (LEO) to geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) that support additional future services for a growing LEO/GEO economy. The following areas are of particular focus for this topic: cryogenic fluid management (CFM); entry, descent & landing (EDL) technologies; advanced habitation systems technologies; in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) production and utilization capabilities; thermal management systems; advanced manufacturing; small spacecraft technologies; and technologies that provide responsive access to space.
  • Topic 2 addresses technologies that can support the Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science (CERISS) initiative, which aims to develop transformative research capabilities with the commercial space industry to dramatically increase the pace of research. Long-range goals include conducting scientist astronaut missions on the International Space Station and commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) destinations and developing automated hardware for experiments beyond low-Earth orbit, such as on the lunar surface.

NASA will help fund the testing of innovative space technologies by providing up to a maximum of $1.0M for proposers to purchase flight services (which may or may not be human-tended) from a qualified flight provider. In addition to purchasing the flight(s), these funds may be used to cover the design, development, preparation of the payload for flight including tests required by the flight provider, post-flight analysis, and reporting, as well as travel in support of the flight(s) and indirect costs. Funds may also be used for educational purposes in support of the flight. The impact of the proposed flight test will be strongly considered in terms of the amount of funding being requested and the expected achievements to be made from the flight testing. 

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