NASA Selects Seven Companies to Kickstart the Low Earth Orbit Economy
In the wake of building a nascent Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Economy, NASA is pulling together a promising team of seven leading companies to further advance space capabilities, with the goal of growing the LEO economy to the point it can sustain both government and future commercial needs, NASA announced in a June 15 press release.
The seven private space companies, which were chosen based on their relevance to the industry and their ability to provide the requested financial and technical resources, include: Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space Corporation, SpaceX, Special Aerospace Services, ThinkOrbital Inc., and Vast Space LLC.
The initiative, Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities-2 (CCSC-2), is the second of its kind. Selections for the first CCSC were made in 2014, resulting in the development of commercial rockets, spacecraft, and spacesuits. This year, the goal is to advance commercial space-related efforts, with an emphasis on expanding human presence within LEO.
“What we can do and learn together in microgravity can push the limits of humanity’s progress and innovation in areas like medicine, technology and scientific understanding,” Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program Office, told SpaceRef over email.
While NASA’s partnership with each company will look a little different, the overall collaboration is supported through the unfunded Space Acts Agreement, meaning no funds will be exchanged between NASA and any of the selected companies. Instead, NASA plans to offer contributions of “technical expertise, assessments, lessons learned, technologies and data,” according to the press release. Although companies may collaborate, these are standalone agreements, and the selected companies are not required to work together.
“A robust [low Earth orbit] economy has competition and multiple capabilities available offer more opportunities to a broader customer base,” Hart said. “This approach is meant to spur innovation and drive down cost over time.”
Dominating the space-tourism realm, Blue Origin will collaborate with NASA to develop an “integrated commercial space transportation capability that ensures safe, affordable and high-frequency U.S. access to orbit for crew and other missions,” according to the press release.
Northrop Grumman is working to build its Persistent Platform, and NASA will help to “provide autonomous and robotic capabilities for commercial science research and manufacturing capabilities in low Earth orbit.”
NASA will help Sierra Space develop its own LEO ecosystem, “including next-generation space transportation, in-space infrastructure and expandable and tailorable space facilities providing a human presence in low Earth orbit.” Sierra Space is already partnered with Blue Origin on its Orbital Reef project, which, under contract with NASA, plans to send a cargo space plane called Dream Chaser to the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2024.
SpaceX will be collaborating with NASA on an integrated LEO architecture “to provide a growing portfolio of technology with near-term Dragon evolution and concurrent Starship development.” The company noted that this new architecture includes Starship as both a means of transportation, as well as an in-space LEO destination element.
Special Aerospace Services is working with NASA on the safer assembly of commercial LEO destinations of in-space systems. The company is focusing on robotic technology called the Autonomous Maneuvering Unit (AMU) and the Astronaut Assist-AMU for commercial in-space servicing and mobility applications.
ThinkOrbital will collaborate with NASA on the development of CONTESA (Construction Technologies for Space Applications) and ThinkPlatforms, which are “self-assembling, single-launch, large-scale orbital platforms.” CONTESA, on the other hand, “features welding, cutting, inspection and additive manufacturing technologies, and aids in large-scale in-space fabrication,” the NASA press release explains.
Lastly, Vast is working with NASA to develop the technologies and operations required for its microgravity and artificial gravity stations. This includes Vast’s Haven-1 commercial space station, which will provide a microgravity environment for crew, research, and in-space manufacturing.
“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,” Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight at NASA headquarters in DC, said in the press release. “The companies can leverage NASA’s vast knowledge and experience and the agency can be a customer for the capabilities included in the agreements for the future.
At its core, “a robust low Earth orbit economy will enable unprecedented opportunity and access to space,” Hart told SpaceRef. “More individuals from more nations and institutions will be able to take advantage of the microgravity environment for commercial research, manufacturing, marketing, tourism, outreach and more.”
