NASA will award up to $49.9 million in total funds to 399 proposals that seek to research and develop new platforms across space technology, human exploration, aeronautics and science areas.The space agency said Thursday it selected 338 proposals for the initial phase of the Small Business Innovation Research program and 61 proposals for the Small Business Technology Transfer initiative’s Phase 1 contracts.
NASA will allocate up to $125,000 in maximum funds to each SBIR and STTR proposal.
SBIR contract recipients will perform work over a six-month period, while STTR researchers will conduct research for a year.
Some of the proposals selected include work on superconducting coils for space fusion reaction engines, drilling systems designed for use in extraterrestrial ocean exploration missions and software-based control of multiple drones.
NASA selected the proposals from 277 small businesses and 44 research organizations out of 1,621 submissions based on technical feasibility, work plan and commercial potential.
NASA’s Ames Research Center in California oversees the SBIR program for the agency’s space technology mission directorate.
