37 American companies will gain access to NASA facilities, hardware, software and experts to advance energy systems, navigation, landing, spacecraft maintenance and protection from lunar dust – but without direct funding from the agency
NASA selected 41 proposals submitted by 37 American companies to develop technologies that could help establish a long-term human presence on Mars. The moon and in preparing future manned missions toMarsThe projects deal, among other things, with space transportation, robotic and human activity on other worlds, and the establishment of infrastructure on the moon.
The companies were selected as part of NASA's Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity, or ACO, published in 2025. It is important to emphasize that these are proposals for the development and maturation of technologies – not operational systems that have already been selected to fly to the Moon or Mars. The full list of projects was published on the NASA website..
“We are enabling American industry to become an active partner in NASA’s missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond,” said Greg Stover, director of the Advanced Research and Technology Division in NASA’s Research and Technology Administration. He said the collaboration with companies should accelerate the development of capabilities needed for future missions while supporting the commercial space market.
Partnership without transfer of funds
ACOs are not grants or procurement contracts. NASA does not transfer money directly to participating companies, but rather provides them with professional and technological resources. These can include experimental facilities, software, hardware, data, and access to the agency's engineers and experts.
The companies, for their part, are investing manpower and resources in developing the technologies. NASA estimates the value of the resources it will provide under the agreements at about $30 million, alongside an estimated contribution of about $32 million from industry.
Since the first call for proposals was issued in 2015, NASA has supported more than 110 ACO projects. The timeline will be determined individually for each new agreement, but the expected duration of work is generally between 12 and 24 months.
The areas of development included in the call for proposals include components for space engines, guidance and navigation systems, landing systems, energy management, as well as technologies for the maintenance, assembly, and production of space equipment.
Transferring energy to the dark regions of the moon
One of the projects of Lockheed Martin Is developing a compact, modular energy system designed to support power supply in permanently shaded areas of the Moon. Such a system could provide power to equipment, robots, and infrastructure even in areas that do not receive direct sunlight.
The company will also explore wireless energy transfer using laser beams based on fiber lasers. Such a solution could allow the energy source to be placed in a well-lit area and transmit power to equipment operating at a distance or in a dark area. The project also includes a heat removal system, which is necessary to maintain the equipment in space conditions.
Lockheed Martin has also been selected to advance vertical solar arrays for use on the lunar surface. Such arrays are designed to take advantage of sunlight at low angles, as occurs in regions near the moon's poles.
Attaching payloads to existing spacecraft
Kall Morris will develop Asteria, a system for attaching additional payloads to spacecraft and satellites already in orbit. The system is also intended to attach to spacecraft that were not previously designed to receive additional equipment.
Astria will use a controlled-release adhesive that will not damage the asset it is attached to. If the technology works as planned, it could be used to attach propulsion systems, sensors, tracking devices or other equipment to existing satellites.
Possible applications include extending the service life of satellites, improving their maneuverability, protecting space assets, collecting data, and tracking objects in orbit. However, the system is still under development and needs to be proven reliable in a space-simulating environment.
Moon dust covers
Moonprint Solutions proposes to develop flexible insulating covers to protect equipment from abrasive lunar dust. The dust can penetrate joints and moving mechanisms, disrupt their operation, and damage equipment during prolonged operations on the lunar surface.
The coatings are designed to conform to complex shapes and protect rover vehicles, robotic joints, pipes and other moving components. The company says the same technology could also be used for equipment that will operate on Mars in the future.
From autonomous navigation to manufacturing from lunar material
The list of projects includes many other technologies. Advanced Space will test distributed autonomy of small spacecraft groups in the space between Earth and the Moon; Made in Space will advance the use of heating and fusion of lunar regolith for thermal management purposes; and Max Space will continue to develop lightweight inflatable structures for human habitation.
Other projects involve electric propulsion motors, lunar dust sensors, lidar navigation, dust-resistant joints, high-performance computing in orbit, solar sails, robotic docking systems, and the production of engine nozzles from composite materials using 3D printing.
NASA estimates that some of the technologies may also help the commercial market, by lowering prices, expanding the range of services, or creating new capabilities. However, choosing an ACO does not guarantee that the development will mature into a commercial product or be integrated into a space mission. The purpose of the agreements is to conduct experiments, reduce engineering risks, and bring the technologies to a more advanced stage.
Source and original article
- NASA - NASA Identifies More Than 40 Space Technologies for Collaboration
- SciTechDaily – NASA Unveils Technologies That Could Build the Future of the Moon and Mars
- The full list of selected projects
More on the subject on the science website
- NASA and the Department of Energy: A nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030
- NASA to test Stratasys' printed components on the moon
- Life on the Moon Won't Be Romantic: This Is What the True Test of the Human Body Will Look Like
- The race to mine resources on the moon has already begun – and it requires rules of the game.
- How Earth's most resilient microorganisms could help us build on Mars
Questions and Answers
What did NASA choose? The agency selected 41 proposals from 37 American companies to develop technologies for future missions to the Moon, Mars and space.
Will the companies receive funding from NASA? No. ACO agreements do not involve the transfer of funds. NASA will provide facilities, hardware, software, and professional expertise, and the companies will invest their own resources.
How long will the projects last? Each agreement will have a separate timeline, but NASA estimates that most will last between 12 and 24 months.
Are the technologies already designed for certain tasks? Not necessarily. The purpose of the agreements is to advance development and reduce risks. The selection does not guarantee that the systems will reach operational use or be integrated into a space mission.
For the original publication: Opening the original publication
One response
Not a single project for protection from solar radiation and solar particle storms?
From what I understand, this is the most acute and critical problem that without creating protection from solar radiation and wind
They won't really be able to live on the moon or even be on missions lasting weeks/months.
Or do you mean that every area where humans will be will have a sufficiently massive coating like on the space station?