NASA has chosen 13 space technology payloads built by academic and industry teams for flight tests and demonstrations aboard parabolic aircraft, high-altitude balloons or suborbital launch vehicles.The agency said Wednesday its Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Flight Opportunities program picked payloads that cover technology areas such as fluids and heat transfer testing, sample retrieval, robotics, oxygen generation and radiation measurements, among others.
“These selections represent an opportunity for large and small businesses along with academia to demonstrate technologies of interest to NASA in a space-like environment and build flight heritage,” said Robert Yang, Flight Opportunities program executive.
NASA’s Space Technology -Â Research, Development, Demonstration and Infusion solicitation sought experiments under two topics: “Demonstration of Space Technology Payloads” and “Demonstration of Vehicle Capability Enhancements and Onboard Research Facilities for Payload Accommodation.”
The organizations that will demonstrate the selected payloads through the solicitation are:
- University of Maryland
- Giner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Carthage College
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- University of Florida
- Orbital Technologies
- Honeybee Robotics
- Purdue University
- Space Environment Technologies
- World View Enterprises
- Nanoracks
- Kentucky Science & Technology
The agency added awardees will receive funds to cover payload integration, flight costs and limited payload development costs.
NASA plans to seek proposals for the next round of REDDIÂ solicitation in the second quarter of fiscal year 2017.
