NASA backs dozens of projects on the space frontier, including some with Northwest connections

NASA announced today it has selected proposals from 37 companies to partner on developing technologies for space transportation, planetary surface operations and lunar surface infrastructure. The selections were made under an Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity. NASA said the agreements aim to advance capabilities for a long-term presence on the moon and human exploration of Mars. The companies can use NASA facilities, software, hardware and subject-matter experts to mature their technologies for commercial and government use. Performance periods will be negotiated individually with an expected duration of 12 to 24 months. Five Seattle-area companies were selected. Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond will work on advanced electric propulsion system thruster affordability improvements. Blue Origin in Kent will assess space-to-surface deceleration capabilities. Starcloud in Redmond will demonstrate high-performance computing for in-orbit autonomy and exploration. Stoke Space in Kent will advance entry, descent and landing for its Nova rocket second stage. Zeno Power Systems, with offices in Seattle and Washington, D.C., will conduct irradiation testing of a Stirling converter. The other 32 companies include Lockheed Martin, Astrobotic Technology, Axiom Space and Varda Space Industries.